Afghanistan War Escalates

 

As was expected, American and NATO withdrawal did not mean peace had been brought to the Afghan peoples. The Taliban have managed to take control of vast parts of the countryside and now has concentrated attacks on a number of large cities including Kunduz, Herat and Lashkar Gah. In southern Nimroz province, the capital of Zaranj appeared to be the first provincial capital to fall to the Taliban. US aircraft pounded Taliban positions in southern Afghanistan’s Helmand province as the insurgents closed a major border crossing with neighbouring Pakistan. In Helmand’s provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, airstrikes destroyed a market in the centre of the city – an area controlled by the Taliban. The Taliban now control nine out of the 10 districts of the city.

General Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US Army Central Command, told reporters in Kabul, “The Taliban are attempting to create a sense of inevitability about their campaign. They are wrong,” he said.”Taliban victory is not inevitable.” Famous last words?

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises British citizens to “leave now by commercial means because of the worsening security situation”, adding: “The level of consular assistance the British embassy can provide in Afghanistan is extremely limited, including in a crisis. Do not rely on the FCDO being able to evacuate you from Afghanistan in an emergency. Terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Afghanistan. Specific methods of attack are evolving and increasing in sophistication. You should note an overall increased threat to western interests in Kabul. Follow the instructions of local authorities. There is a high threat of kidnapping throughout the country.”

United Nations' Afghanistan envoy, Deborah Lyons, explained Afghanistan had now entered a "new, deadlier, and more destructive phase.”

Vassily Nebenzia who is Russia's UN Ambassador expressed concern at the level of deterioration. "With the withdrawal of foreign forces, the outlook looks grim." He added that "the prospects of slipping into full scale and protracted civil war, unfortunately, is a stark reality,"