Afghan official says security forces can hold their own against Taliban if US troops withdraw
Kathy Gannon, The Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s interior minister said Saturday that Afghan security forces can hold their ground even if U.S. troops withdraw, challenging a warning from the United States predicting a withdrawal would yield quick territorial gains to the Taliban.
Masoud Andarabi’s comments in an interview Saturday with The Associated Press were the first government reaction to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s warning issued in a sharply worded letter to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last weekend.
In the letter pressing Ghani to step up efforts to make peace with the Taliban, Blinken said, “I am concerned the security situation will worsen and that the Taliban could make rapid territorial gains†after the American military withdraws.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2021/03/14/afghan-official-says-security-forces-can-hold-their-own-against-taliban-if-us-troops-withdraw/
