Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin briefed members of the press at the Pentagon for only the second time to say he was “hopeful” that the Afghan Armed Forces numbering some 300,000 could withstand continued Taliban attacks after the United States fully withdraws by September.
The former commander of U.S. Central Command described progress executing President Joe Biden’s orders to end America’s longest war and pull out of Afghanistan despite high levels of violence and a continued terrorist presence. The Taliban has not yet broken with al Qaeda and it conducts some 100 daily attacks on the Afghan government, though none on U.S. and coalition forces, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley said alongside Austin. Still, the defense secretary underscored a priority to protect withdrawing U.S. troops, not sustain the Afghan government.
“What’s to stop the Taliban?” Austin said rhetorically. “We’re hopeful that the Afghan security forces will play a major role in stopping the Taliban, and I know what we’re seeing unfold is what we expected to see unfold, increased pressure.”
Austin said the U.S. will continue to support Afghanistan financially and with “over the horizon” capabilities after departure, although the Defense Department has not yet secured nearby basing agreements to execute such a mission.
“We expect that this will be a challenge for them,” Austin said of the Afghan’s continued fight against the Taliban despite hopes for a peace negotiation.
Milley said the Afghanistan Armed Forces consist of 300,000 troops and its Air Force currently conducts 80% to 90% of airstrikes while coalition forces execute the rest.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who served in Afghanistan, said he was aware of the attrition and desertion rates in the Afghan Armed Forces, but he would not disclose them. Instead, he said the Afghan government remains a “cohesive organization,” and its fall was “not a foregone conclusion.”
“There’s a significant military capability in the Afghan government, and we have to see how this plays out,” he said.
Austin added: “They have performed fairly well.”
To protect American troops, Austin sent six B-52 bombers and a dozen F-18s while extending the offshore stay of the USS Eisenhower. Milley said some 60 cargo loads of C-17s have been withdrawn from the country.
In addition to some 3,000 U.S. troops, more than 10,000 contractors responsible for the vital maintenance of aircraft and other equipment will also be forced to withdraw with no backup plan ready yet.
The military leaders did not discuss how al Qaeda and other terrorist groups operating in the region would still be targeted once the U.S. footprint is gone, noting such capabilities were still being worked out.
Security experts and GOP leaders have opposed Biden’s decision to pull out of Afghanistan, saying a small footprint is necessary to keep fighting terrorists and prevent a Taliban takeover of the government. Democrats in Congress applauded the president’s decision to end the fighting and hand over security to Afghans.
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For now, the defense secretary said, U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Commander Gen. Austin Miller has the capabilities to protect American and allied troops as well as the Afghans.
“Once we’ve left, again, our focus is on providing or maintaining a [counterterrorism] capability over the horizon and supporting the Afghans with monetary support and over the horizon logistics where possible,” he said.
