China News Service, June 18, According to Russian Satellite Network, US Secretary of Defense Austin stated on the 17th that international terrorist organizations in Afghanistan, such as Al Qaeda, will be able to make a comeback in just two years after the withdrawal of US troops.
At the hearing of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee, Austin was asked about the possibility of a resurgence of terrorist organizations in Afghanistan after the full withdrawal of U.S. troops, and how soon they might once again pose a threat to Washington and its allies.
Austin said: "My assessment is moderate. I think they only need about two years to make a comeback."
The US Central Command stated in early June that the United States had withdrawn more than half of its troops from Afghanistan.
The U.S. government previously announced that it would start withdrawing troops from Afghanistan before May 1 and end the withdrawal before September 11.
In 2020, the Trump administration of the United States and the Taliban movement in Afghanistan signed the first peace agreement in Qatar since the outbreak of the war in Afghanistan more than 18 years ago.
According to the agreement, the US and NATO forces should be withdrawn from Afghanistan within 14 months, that is, before May 1, 2021.