Original title: The Chinese in Afghanistan talk about the security situation: There are frequent warnings in the surrounding area of the camp, and gunshots are often heard
[环球时报综合报道]”The only legacy left by the United States in Afghanistan is shame and disaster.” Former Afghan President Karzai criticized the United States, which has been engaged in the “War on Terrorism” in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years, on the 20th. On the same day, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs rarely reminded citizens of their own country to “leave the country as soon as possible”. In fact, it is not only China that issued similar reminders. “This is not a good sign,” Mansour Faizi, editor-in-chief of the “Afghanistan Times” told the “Global Times” on the 21st that the US-led war against extremism and the search for stability in Afghanistan has failed. As the United States withdrew its troops on its own, violence and terrorist attacks in Afghanistan have increased sharply, and the fighting between the Taliban in Afghanistan and the government’s security forces has escalated unprecedentedly. The Taliban’s offensive is strong, and some media even think of the situation before they fully seized power in the 1990s. The British “Guardian” commented that almost nothing has been achieved during the 20-year war in Afghanistan and that Afghans are facing an uncertain future.
Chinese in Afghanistan: There are frequent warnings in the surrounding areas
Due to the “severe and complex” security situation in Afghanistan, on the 20th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Afghanistan reminded Chinese citizens and institutions in Afghanistan to further strengthen prevention and emergency preparedness and use international commercial flights to leave the country as soon as possible.
“The Chinese government warns its citizens to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible.” Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post said on the 21st that an explosion occurred in a girls’ school in Kabul last month, killing more than 60 people. Before the U.S. forces completely withdrew on September 11, the Taliban intensified their attacks on strategic areas. The top leader of the U.S. Department of Defense warned of the consequences of a completely unconditional withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, including the risk of organizations such as Al Qaeda coming back to Afghanistan in the next few years.
Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Afghanistan Research Center of Lanzhou University, told the Global Times reporter that the main reason for the warning issued by the Chinese embassy was the deterioration of the local security situation, the obvious expansion of the group that was attacked and kidnapped, and the withdrawal of foreign organizations, such as the Australian Embassy in Kabul. , Britain and France are also possible, and international NGOs are basically reducing their staff.
Zhu Yongbiao said that although the situation in Afghanistan had been unstable before, it was within a controllable range. Recently, the situation has deteriorated a lot, and the possibility that the safety of foreigners in Afghanistan can be guaranteed is actually very low. For some time to come, the territory of Afghanistan, including Kabul, may fall into a certain degree of chaos.
Since the end of last year, most Chinese citizens in Afghanistan have left one after another, but there are still people left behind in some projects. An employee of a Chinese company working around Kabul told the Global Times reporter that considering the security situation and the epidemic, it is difficult for the project to continue, and the left-behind personnel are all active in the camp. Judging from the situation felt by the camp, there are frequent alarms in the surrounding areas, gunshots can often be heard, and government helicopters are often hovering in the air.
The “Global Times” reporter tried to contact the Chinese in Afghanistan through intermediaries in the past two days. The intermediary conveyed that everyone felt a little anxious. Despite the warning from the embassy, they were not in a hurry to return home. Experts believe that they are generally reluctant to say that Afghanistan is dangerous due to specific interests and long-term feelings.
The reporter learned that, according to the requirements of the Chinese Embassy, the camps for staying in Afghanistan have stored emergency supplies for 45-60 days, including food, water and anti-epidemic supplies. On June 12, 700,000 doses of the new crown vaccine provided by China to Afghanistan were delivered to Kabul. The embassy is actively making statistics and arranging vaccination for compatriots in Afghanistan.
What happened in Afghanistan?
“Afghanistan Times” editor-in-chief Mansour Faiz told the “Global Times” reporter that due to the deterioration of the security situation, and he often goes out to participate in events and meetings, he has moved to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Faiz mentioned that in late April the US State Department requested non-essential staff to evacuate the US embassy in Afghanistan, and Washington also suggested that US citizens who want to leave the country make early plans.
Faizi said that after U.S. President Biden announced in April that September 11 was the deadline for the departure of the U.S. military, there was a surge in violence in Afghanistan. The Taliban and other militant groups began to attack major cities, and several fatal attacks occurred in the capital Kabul. Following the increase in violence in Kabul, the US Embassy was the first diplomatic mission to call on its citizens to leave Afghanistan.
From May 1, the United States and NATO troops began to withdraw. On May 11, the Taliban raided and seized Nilkh, Wardak Province, which is only 35 kilometers away from Kabul. Recently, the Taliban launched an offensive across Afghanistan, claiming that they have seized 40 districts and multiple government military strongholds, occupying multiple provincial capitals.
According to the Associated Press, on the 21st, the Taliban occupied a key area in the northern Kunduz province, forming a siege of the provincial capital. According to the New York Times statistics, since May 1, the Taliban have occupied more than 50 districts through local mediation, military offensives, and government retreats, and only a small portion has been retaken by government forces. According to the Guardian, 26 government bases surrendered to the Taliban last month. Due to some restrictions and the transfer of US military aircraft outside Afghanistan, the US air support to the Afghan government has been greatly reduced in the past few weeks.
In response to the Taliban’s offensive, on the 19th, Afghan President Ghani appointed the former Army Chief of Staff Bismara Khan Mohamedi, who had fought with the Taliban in the 1990s, as the Minister of Defense. Ghani also reappointed the head of another powerful department of the Interior Ministry. On the 25th, Abdullah, Chairman of the High Commission for National Reconciliation between Ghani and Afghanistan, will visit the White House.
In response, the Taliban stated that Ghani’s visit to Washington was “worthless”. The Taliban is still committed to peace talks, but firmly advocates the implementation of a “real Islamic system” in Afghanistan. This is to end the war and ensure rights (including women’s rights). The only way.
According to the “Guardian” report, compared with 2020, civilian casualties in Afghanistan from January to March this year have increased by 29%. According to government data, the number of deaths related to terrorism in May this year was 4,735, much higher than the 1,645 last year. In addition, the epidemic is also spreading. Afghanistan can test about 5,000 new coronavirus samples every day. Since June, more than 30% of the daily test samples have been positive. Terrorist attacks have made Afghanistan’s fragile medical system worse.
American Legacy: “Shame” and “Disaster”
Regarding the current situation, Qatar Al Jazeera described it as “the same as the 1990s before the Taliban seized power.” U.S. Joint Council Chairman Mark Milli recently stated that if something unexpected happens, such as the collapse of the Afghan security forces or the dissolution of the government, this risk will obviously increase. Looking at it now, the risk of extremist organizations coming back is “moderate.” It will take about two years or so. Wang Shida, deputy director of the South Asia Institute of the China Institute of Modern International Relations, told the Global Times reporter that the see-saw conflict between the two sides will continue before the Afghan government and the Taliban form a new balance of power.
“The United States has failed in Afghanistan… Their legacy is a war-torn country, which is in’complete shame and disaster’.” Former Afghan President Karzai said in an interview with the Associated Press on the 20th. The international community came to Afghanistan with a clear goal of combating extremism and bringing stability… “But extremism has reached its peak today.” Karzai said that the military actions of the United States and NATO were tough and completely wrong. The actions were not aimed at extremism or terrorism, but aimed at the villages and homes of the Afghans, and established prisons against the Afghan people in Afghanistan.
According to Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Television, hundreds of Afghans are risking their lives every day to find a better life in Turkey. “Afghanistan has war, unemployment is high, and there are many poor people. We cannot work and earn a living there,” said Husseini, an Afghan refugee. According to United Nations data, there are 2.65 million displaced persons in Algeria and 2.7 million displaced outside the country.
The United States has been fighting in Afghanistan for nearly 20 years. It has paid more than 2,400 deaths and cost 2 trillion US dollars, but what has been left is a mess. “Voice of America” admitted on the 21st that the unprecedented escalation of fighting in Afghanistan has brought new blows to the slow peace talks led by the United States. Qatar is hosting this dialogue.
Countries around Afghanistan are also actively mediating. Earlier this month, the fourth China-Afghanistan-Pakistan foreign ministers’ video dialogue was held in Guiyang. The three parties emphasized that the process of peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan should be effectively promoted, an early ceasefire, and an end to violence; the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan should proceed in an orderly manner in a responsible manner.
Faiz told the Global Times reporter that the future of Afghanistan is at stake. “Every country is worried about its citizens in Afghanistan, but what about the Afghans who have made huge sacrifices because of the failure of the international community’s policies?”
[环球时报驻巴基斯坦特派记者 程是颉 环球时报记者 王雯雯 任重]
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