LOC15:13
12:13 GMT
KUWAIT, Aug 22 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump has revealed a new strategy on Afghanistan casting aside possible full and rapid withdrawal of the American troops from the troubled nation.
A hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan "would create a vacuum for terrorists," including the so-called Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda "would instantly fill just as happened" before the September 11, 2001 attacks," President Trump said on Monday.
Although he stopped short of explicitly saying whether Washington would dispatch more troops to Afghanistan, Trump indicated that military operations would be expanded against some 20 terrorist organizations scattered all over the vast country.
Addressing the Afghan Government, President Trump said that continuing American support would not be "for free". Moreover, he waved the olive branch indicating that the Taliban could be eventually part of an aspired political settlement.
Trump, before his election as president of the US, had called for complete pullout of the American forces from Afghanistan, but immediately after assuming the top post in January, he reversed the stance.
Since start of the American military intervention in Afghanistan in 2001, the nation has witnessed a chain of events. Here are some of them:
On September 11, 2001, the US was targeted with terrorist attacks with hijacked passenger planes hitting the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon headquarters. At least 30,000 people were killed in these attacks.
In October 2001, the US started a wide-scale military operation in Afghanistan, involving some 28,000 American troops, along with British forces, after accusing Al-Qaeda of masterminding the air attacks on the US. During the same month, American forces entered Kabul and the Taliban government was ousted.
On November 21, 2001, Washington offered USD 25 million for information about hideout of Al-Qaeda chief Usama bin Laden.
On December 20, 2001, the United Nations formed the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan according to Resolution 1386, with participation of troops from 42 states in addition to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
On December 20, 2001, Washington asked the Taliban to hand over Bin laden but the movement rejected the request.
On December 22, 2001, Afghanistan witnessed inauguration of the first internationally backed interim government headed by Hamid Karzai.
In 2002, troops from Canada and Australia joined the NATO-commanded American and British forces deployed in Afghanistan.
On January 16, 2008, former US president George W. Bush agreed to dispatch 3,200 Marines to Afghanistan.
On February 17, 2009, former US president Barack Obama decided to increase number of the American forces in Afghanistan from 30,000 to 100,000.
On May 11, 2009, commander of the American forces and ISAF in Afghanistan, Gen David D. McKiernan, was dismissed and succeeded by Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal.
On June 23, 2019, Gen. McChrystal was dismissed and replaced by Gen. David Petraeus.
On May 2, 2011, former US president Obama announced Bin Laden was killed by American special forces in Pakistan.
On June 22, 2011, Obama declared a plan to pull 10,000 American forces out Afghanistan by year-end.
On September 21, 2014, Afghanistan witnessed signing an accord to form a national unity government, with Ashraf Ghani as president and Abdullah Abdullah as prime minister.
On September 30, 2014, the Afghan government signed a new security pact with the US, stipulating that some 1,000 American soldiers would stay in the country after the year-end.
On October 26, 2014, American and British forces concluded combat operations in Afghanistan leaving their camps for the Afghan government forces.
On October 15, 2011, Obama declared extending mission of the 5,500-strong American force in Afghanistan until after 2016 to aid the local government forces.
On July 6, 2016, Obama decided to slow down withdrawal of the American forces from Afghanistan to help the local government resist Taliban threats.
In 2017, some 8,400 American troops were deployed in Afghanistan as part of the 13,500-strong multi-national forces to provide aid to the Afghan military forces. (end)
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