Washington is negotiating with the Central Asian states about the possibility of deploying its military potential in the region after the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.

US Special Representative for Reconciliation in Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad spoke about this during his visit to Kazakhstan.

“We are discussing cooperation on issues with the countries of the region, including Kazakhstan.

There is nothing to announce at the moment, but I want to say that discussions, negotiations are ongoing, and the United States is determined to have the potential in the region to be able to protect our national security, as well as to work with other countries in our common interests. " , - quotes the words of the American special representative of Interfax.

Khalilzad said that during his visit to Kazakhstan he will discuss a number of issues with the country's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

“I will meet with the country's leadership, we will discuss the status of our negotiations, relations with Kazakhstan.

We have a very strong security relationship and we have common concerns.

We have a strong political relationship, both inside and outside the region, in terms of human rights.

Moreover, we have strong economic relations, ”Khalilzad stressed.

Endless war

Recall that American troops are leaving Afghanistan after the conclusion in February 2020 of an agreement between the Donald Trump administration and the radical Taliban *.

In response to the withdrawal of United States forces, the Taliban pledged not to use the country's territory for actions that could pose a threat to the security of America and its allies.

Initially, the troops were supposed to withdraw in 14 months, but Joe Biden, after taking office, extended the period until September 11 this year - the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

  • American Marines near Kandahar in 2001

  • Reuters

  • © Earnie Grafton

The American intervention in Afghanistan under Operation Enduring Freedom began in October 2001 and has grown into the longest overseas military campaign in United States history.

During this time, a total of about 2.3 thousand American troops died in Afghanistan, and more than 20 thousand were injured of varying severity.

The overthrow of the Taliban regime and the destruction of the international terrorist group Al-Qaeda ** was declared the main goal of Enduring Freedom ** - its then leader Osama bin Laden took responsibility for organizing the September 11 attacks.

However, the overthrow of the Taliban regime and the establishment of a new government in Kabul with the support of Washington led first to a guerrilla war against the international coalition and government forces, and then to a full-scale armed civil confrontation.

In 2009, President Barack Obama announced the sending of an additional 30,000 US troops to Afghanistan.

According to him, this measure was supposed to stabilize the situation in the country and allow in 2011 to begin the withdrawal of coalition forces from there.

However, it was not possible to realize these intentions on time.

The reduction in the number of the US and coalition contingent began in 2014, after their troops and Afghan security forces managed to transfer about 70% of the country under the control of the government in Kabul.

However, the Taliban soon launched a counter-offensive: in 2016, the US military publication Military Times wrote that the Taliban controlled more territory in Afghanistan than since the start of the invasion in 2001.

In February 2021, Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Alexander Mantytsky noted that, according to Russian diplomats, at least 50% of Afghanistan's territory is under the control of the Taliban.

Close distances

The American edition of The Wall Street Journal in early May, citing sources in the Biden administration, reported that the White House is looking for options to maintain the US military presence in the region after the withdrawal of the contingent from Afghanistan.

“According to a number of military and Biden administration officials, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are preferred, which border Afghanistan and could become a springboard for easy access.

However, the significant Russian presence in the region, the expansion of the Chinese presence and tensions between these powers and Washington complicate plans to deploy bases in Central Asia, ”the WSJ noted.

  • Militants of the radical Taliban

  • Reuters

According to the newspaper's sources, “at the moment there have been no requests for the deployment of bases in Central Asia, the Pentagon is still weighing all the pros and cons.

On May 19, the director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, Sergei Naryshkin, commented on US attempts to deploy the contingent withdrawn from Afghanistan in neighboring countries.

"It is obvious that, when deciding to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, the United States government would not want to lose control over this territory and is hatching an intention to place at least part of the resources that they have today in Afghanistan, in neighboring countries," Naryshkin's words to RIA Novosti.

He also stressed that Moscow is aware of Washington's intentions in this matter.

“We understand and even have information that such attempts are being made and will be made.

And we very much hope that not only partners, but also allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization will not agree to this, ”the SVR director emphasized.

Konstantin Blokhin, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in an interview with RT, noted that the current statement of the US Special Representative for Afghanistan confirms Washington's desire to redeploy part of its contingent, but not leave the region.

“The United States, in the context of a systemic confrontation with Russia and China, does not intend to lose such an important geopolitical foothold.

The United States refused to be present in Afghanistan because of the fabulous spending on maintaining the military contingent there and the high risk of death of soldiers, therefore, they are looking for a way to minimize their damage by transferring the military to more comfortable conditions, ”the expert explained.

Alexander Domrin, a professor at the Higher School of Economics, agrees with this assessment of the situation.

“Indeed, the United States does not intend to withdraw its contingent from this region, but wants to gain a foothold in Central Asia in order to resist both Russian and Chinese influence there.

It can be expected that the Biden administration will make every effort, including financial, to achieve this goal, ”the political scientist said.

However, according to him, while the prospect of Washington retaining a commensurate contingent in this region looks rather vague.

"None of the CSTO countries will agree to create a permanent American base on its territory, the maximum that the United States can get is a temporary site for the transfer of troops," Domrin predicted.

* "Taliban" - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation of February 14, 2003.

** "Al-Qaeda" - the organization was recognized as terrorist by the decision of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation dated 02.14.2003.