3 yıl önce

After 20 years in Afghanistan, NATO blames Afghan leaders for Kabul’s fall

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg blamed Afghanistan’s leadership for the swift collapse of the country’s armed forces but says the alliance must also uncover flaws in its military training effort.

Reuters

A Taliban fighter runs towards crowd outside Kabul airport, Kabul, Afghanistan August 16, 2021, in this still image taken from a video.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said the alliance was surprised by the speed of the Taliban victory in Afghanistan but blamed Afghan leaders for the "tragedy".

"Ultimately, the Afghan political leadership failed to stand up to the Taliban and to achieve the peaceful solution that Afghans desperately wanted," he said.

"This failure of the Afghan leadership led to the tragedy we are witnessing today."

Stoltenberg told reporters that the alliance was now working to ensure the safety of NATO's remaining civilian personnel and Afghan employees in Afghanistan.

Taliban rebels overran the Afghan capital at the weekend after the Western-backed government and resistance from its US- and NATO-trained forces collapsed.

Staff from Western embassies have relocated to the city's airport, which is under the protection of a rear-guard of US troops deployed to cover the allied retreat.

"NATO has been working around the clock to maintain operations at the Kabul International Airport," Stoltenberg said, after a meeting of senior NATO diplomats from alliance members.

"Around 800 NATO civilian personnel have remained to provide key functions under very challenging circumstances, including air traffic control, fuel and communications."

"Let me also thank the military forces of NATO allies – in particular Turkey, the United States and United Kingdom – for a vital role in securing the airport.

Stoltenberg said NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan, Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo, would remain at the airport "to coordinate and facilitate the evacuation" of NATO staff and Afghan employees.

"The Taliban must respect and facilitate the safe departure all those who wish to leave the airport and , as well, roads and border crossings must be open," he said.

"All Afghan men, women and children deserve to live in safety and dignity."

“We never intended to stay in Afghanistan forever,”

According to Stoltenberg, it is necessary for the military alliance to take “an honest, fair assessment” on its two-decade presence in Afghanistan.

He also explained that NATO had faced a dilemma about ending the military mission in Afghanistan, where they had to choose between the risk of a Taliban takeover or open-ended combat.

“We never intended to stay in Afghanistan forever,” he stressed, adding that the main goal was to ensure that the country would not become again a safe haven for terrorists.

He called “those now taking power” to take this responsibility, as well as to preserve a stable and peaceful society.

The war between the Taliban and Afghan forces has intensified as foreign troops announced to withdraw from the country by September 11.

The Taliban made rapid military advances, and took control over the capital on Sunday as Afghan government forces fled or surrendered.

President Ashraf Ghani also left the country.