On Sunday, the top American military officer said that Afghan Govt. forces are dealing with an undefined future and, in an adverse scenario, some bad possible results against Taliban rebels when the removal of American and other countries’ troops accelerates in the upcoming weeks.
General Mark Milley mentioned the Afghan forces and police as reasonably well trained, reasonably well equipped, and reasonably well led. He described the Afghan military’s years of experience against a tough insurgency, but Milley refused to describe that they are completely ready to stand up to the Taliban without direct international support during a potential Taliban offensive.
A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff, described in an interview with CNN and AP (Associated Press) reporters traveling with him from Hawaii to Washington just a few hours after the official opening of the withdrawal.
Source: Web
When he asked whether he thinks the Afghan military can hold up under mounting stress, Gen. Mark Milley noncommittal. He said that your question: The Afghan troops, do they stay together and remain a cohesive battle force, or o they fall apart? He continued that he thinks there are numerous scenarios present, a range of results, a range of possibilities.
We have to wait and see – Mark Milley
Milley added that on the one hand, you get some truly dramatic, bad possible outcomes, and on the other hand, you get a government that stays together and a military that stays together. He further explained that which one of these options gets and turns into a reality at the end of the day? Furthermore, he said that we frankly don’t know yet, and we have to wait and see how things change over the summer.
Milley described that there is ‘at last still the possibility of a discussed settlement between the Taliban and the government in Kabul. He said that this would avoid the massive civil war that some fear could occur.
Within around 2 months of the American-led attack in October 2001, the nation’s Taliban leaders were replaced from their powers and militarily defeated. Within a couple of years, they had rearmed, regrouped, and reasserted themselves, getting the benefit of their neighborhood Pakistan. Furthermore, in the previous few years, the Taliban had accomplished a battleground tie with American-supported Afghan govt forces.
He said that the Afghan troops have served in the previous years with less reliance on the United States and coalition advisers. Among the important exceptions are special actions commandos and the defense ministry.
