Today: 24 August 2025
25 June 2021
3 mins read

As troops get set to leave, Biden to meet Afghan leaders

White House says Biden’s first meeting as president with Ghani and Abdullah, will focus on ongoing commitment to the Afghan people, reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden meets Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, on Friday to discuss Washington’s support for Afghanistan as the last US troops pack up after 20 years of war and government forces struggle to repel Taliban advances.

The Oval Office meeting may be as valuable to Ghani for its symbolism as for any new US help because it will be seen as affirming Biden’s support for the beleaguered Afghan leader as he confronts Taliban gains, bombings and assassinations, a surge in Covid-19 cases and political infighting in Kabul.

Biden’s embrace, however, comes only months after US officials were pressuring Ghani to step aside for a transitional government under a draft political accord that they floated in a failed gambit to break a stalemate in peace talks.

Biden’s first meeting as president with Ghani and Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, will focus on “our ongoing commitment to the Afghan people” and security forces, said White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Biden has asked Congress to approve $3.3 billion in security assistance for Afghanistan next year and is sending 3 million doses of vaccines there to help it battle Covid-19.

Biden will urge Ghani and Abdullah, foes in Afghanistan’s two last presidential elections, “to be a united front” and he will reaffirm US support for a negotiated peace deal, Jean-Pierre said.

Officials, however, have been clear that Biden will not halt the US pullout – likely to be completed by late July or early August – and he is unlikely to approve any US military support to Kabul to halt the Taliban’s advances beyond advice, intelligence, and aircraft maintenance.

Ghani and Abdullah spent Thursday discussing the situation in Afghanistan with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

ALSO READ: 300 mn jabs in 150 days: Biden’s new milestone

On Thursday, Intelligence has warned that Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, could fall to the Taliban within six months of the departure of the last of the US and international troops. The warning came amid growing international concern about Taliban making gains since May 1, when the US and allied troops began leaving Afghanistan in accordance with a timeline announced by Biden for complete the withdrawal by September 11.

India, a key stakeholder in Afghanistan’s reconstruction, called for a UN-led ceasefire in the country during a UN Security Council debate on Monday, pointing to a sudden escalation in violence in the country since May 1.

The Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence experts had earlier assessed that the government of President Ghani would survive for two years after the US withdrawal based roughly on the time it took for the fall of Saigon in Vietnam after US troop pull-out in 1975.

Intelligence and military analysts have since revised their assessment and now believe that Kabul could fall in six to 12 months after the departure of American troops, the WSJ reported, adding that officials in other western countries fear the capital could fall far sooner, possibly in three months.

US military has planned to wind up the withdrawal by as soon as July, going down from the 3,500 currently stationed there to zero, barring a small force to be left behind for the protection of American diplomatic missions and officials.

ALSO READ: Ghani, Abdullah to meet Biden at White House

ALSO READ: Israel president set to meet Biden before retiring

Previous Story

2020 was a deadly year for the PRC

Next Story

‘Iran should not be playing brinksmanship on IAEA pact’

Latest from -Top News

‘FAMINE’

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says living situation in Gaza can be described as “famine”…reports Asian Lite News United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the word “famine” could be used to

Ban Coal Exports to Israel

More than 100 pro-Palestine activists launched protests on Thursday in three major South African cities, calling on the government to ban coal exports to Israel…reports Asian Lite News Pro-Palestine activists are pictured

US sanctions more ICC judges

Washington hits at The Hague with fresh sanctions on four ICC judges and prosecutors, including French and Canadian officials, over probes targeting Israel and US actions abroad….reports Asian Lite News The United

UAE Wows Osaka!

The UAE Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka celebrates its three millionth visitor, blending culture, innovation, and hospitality in an immersive showcase of heritage, sustainability, and forward-looking global vision….reports Asian Lite News The

MBS & Sisi talk ties, Palestine

The two leaders reviewed the historic and strategic relations between Riyadh and Cairo and explored new ways to bolster cooperation…reports Asian Lite News Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister HRH Mohammed bin
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Trump Claims Ceasefire Deal 

Biden administration’s reported coordination with Trump’s team on its efforts

India advocates stability, development in Afghanistan

Muttaqi met with the ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions