Elizabeth Boyle, Staff

Last February, the Trump administration negotiated with the Taliban and a plan was agreed upon that U.S. troops would leave Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. President Biden decided to proceed with the plan to leave, but decided to adjust the timeline. Biden declared that all U.S. forces would leave Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, exactly 20 years after the attack on the U.S. by the Islamic extremist organization Al-Qaeda.

         Since the U.S. has failed to meet the agreed upon May 1 deadline, the Taliban has announced that it believes the U.S. has violated the terms agreed to in February 2020. At that time, the Taliban agreed not to attack U.S. troops through the May 1 deadline, and they did indeed stop the attacks. The Pentagon is now concerned that U.S. forces might be attacked while in the process of moving out because it is beyond May 1.      

The U.S. military tries to always be prepared for potential threats, and currently has an aircraft carrier nearby, and is ready to move multiple B-52 bombers as well as an Army Ranger task force into the area. The U.S. State Department has also instructed diplomatic personnel in Kabul, Afghanistan to vacate the country unless it is absolutely necessary that they remain. Military specialists say there is hope for a peaceful withdrawal but also potential for the Afghan government to fall soon after the U.S. departs.