The time limit for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan is approaching and the threat of terrorist attacks is encountered in the last three days.Expert interpretation
There are only three days left before the deadline set by the United States for withdrawal from Afghanistan. The number of deaths and injuries caused by the terrorist attacks on the 26th continued to rise. On the 27th local time, the U.S. military stated that the U.S. military carried out a drone strike against a member of the Khorasan organization, the Afghan branch of the extremist organization.
US Army: Initial signs show that the operation has “killed the target”
The U.S. Central Command stated that the attack took place in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. Preliminary signs indicate that the operation has killed the target. The U.S. military stated that the airstrike did not cause civilian casualties. An official from the US Department of Defense stated that the attack was launched from outside Afghanistan. The U.S. Central Command did not specify whether the airstrike target was related to the bombing at Kabul Airport on the 26th. An anonymous US official said that the US airstrikes were aimed at members of extremist organizations that are planning to launch more attacks.
The “Khorasan Organization” previously claimed responsibility for the bombing at Kabul Airport. The U.S. government said on the 26th that the U.S. would find the attackers and make them pay the price.
How did the U.S. military withdraw in the last three days?
How is Kabul Airport now? What is the situation in Kabul city? Zhou Xuan, a reporter from China Central Radio and Television, will take you to watch it with you.
The deadline for withdrawal is approaching, the U.S. accelerates the withdrawal
At present, almost two days have passed since the bombing at Kabul Airport on the 26th. Although the explosion caused a large number of casualties, thousands of people have gathered around Kabul Airport waiting to be evacuated. After the bombing incident, the United States also made two-handed preparations. On the one hand, it speeded up the evacuation progress, on the other hand, it increased security efforts to promote the evacuation of personnel as much as possible.
Airport is at risk of terrorist attack
On the 27th local time, the U.S. Department of Defense stated that Kabul Airport is very likely to encounter the risk of terrorist attacks in the future. The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan also issued a security reminder on the same day. Due to the possible security threats to Kabul Airport, U.S. citizens are required to go through the airport’s Abe Gate, The east gate and the north gate left immediately. Some analysts believe that as the deadline for the withdrawal of the US military is getting closer, coupled with the possible risk of terrorist attacks, it will be difficult for the United States to complete the evacuation of all personnel before August 31.
Airport security measures are upgraded to strictly control the entry of vehicle personnel
Earlier, some media reported that the Taliban had already taken over most of the Kabul Airport and was preparing to take over the airport as soon as the U.S. forces withdrew. According to the reporter in front of the main station, after the explosion, the Taliban sent additional forces to control the area around the airport and strictly controlled the vehicles and personnel entering the airport. However, the Taliban has not yet officially responded to the takeover of the airport.
Commercial activities are limited and open to people’s lives facing inconvenience
Compared with the chaos of Kabul Airport over the past few days, the security situation in Kabul City is much more stable. The 28th is the first working day after the weekend in Afghanistan. The number of people and vehicles on the streets has gradually increased, but commercial activities have not yet been opened. Most banks and currency exchange points have not yet opened for business. Government departments and schools are also in In the closed state, local people still face many inconveniences in their daily lives.
Are there any preparations for retaliation against the US military on the second day of the terrorist attack and explosion?
The time for the final withdrawal set by the United States is imminent, but two consecutive terrorist bombings have severely damaged the ongoing withdrawal operations. However, the United States announced that it had taken an air strike to “kill the target” on the second day of the terrorist attack. Has it been prepared for intelligence and terrorist information? But why failed to prevent the two explosions on the 26th in advance? Expert interpretation↓↓↓
Why the accuracy of US military intelligence failed to prevent airport bombing and terrorist attacks?
Li Wei, an expert on international counter-terrorism issues: The United States said that the people behind the serial bombings at Kabul International Airport were killed. Of course, we would like to believe that this news is true. After being killed, he was resurrected. Therefore, we believe that the United States killed the “Khorasan Organization” behind the scenes, this news has yet to be verified.
We have some doubts about the US action. The explosion that took place on the 26th and the 27th that the US was able to accurately kill the behind-the-scenes culprits showed that the United States did not control the whereabouts of some personnel of the “Khorasan Organization” in Afghanistan only today. Why didn’t they take action against a terrorist organization like “Khorasan” before, but waited until the international airport bombing to take such action?
Why did the United States obtain clear intelligence about the imminent attack on the international airport before the 25th, but failed to prevent this terrorist attack from happening? I personally think that this is a stain on the international counter-terrorism. The problem lies mainly in two aspects.
The intelligence obtained by the U.S. military has not been effectively implemented
The first aspect is that this time, accurate and well-directed counter-terrorism intelligence has not really landed. The new Afghan government is in transition, and many departments are also in a state of paralysis. The U.S. military was busy retreating at the Kabul Airport and was unable to process such a very accurate intelligence. This is some manifestation of the failure of the intelligence to land effectively.
The security “chain” of Kabul Airport failed to form a closed loop
The second aspect is that the overall security of Kabul International Airport and the original complete chain will no longer be able to form a complete closed loop after the rupture. How large is the security scope of the Kabul Airport that the US military is responsible for? This point is not clear. The division of responsibilities between the US military and the outer Taliban is also unclear. Some of the measures that led to the Kabul Airport, which was originally a layered security check, had disappeared before this explosion. Not only did the chain not form a closed loop, but it was broken very seriously.
What does the United States hope to achieve through retaliatory actions?
Special commentator Su Xiaohui: From a practical point of view, we will see that the relevant early warning actions before the terrorist attack were very low-key, but after the terrorist attack, the US retaliation was very high-key. The terrorist attack was deeply injured.
Terrorist attack on Kabul Airport makes Biden government’s situation worse
After we saw the terrorist attack, for the Biden administration, its situation was even worse. Prior to this, the Biden administration has been questioned about the sudden change in the situation in Afghanistan caused by the hasty withdrawal of troops, and the Biden administration has always emphasized that the reason why the United States wants to withdraw its troops is to ensure the so-called zero casualties. But now that zero casualties no longer exist, the Biden administration cannot justify it. But what has emerged in the United States is a crisis of politics and trust. At this time, for the US government, using a high-profile so-called retaliatory action to show its anti-terrorism capabilities and divert domestic attention seems to be able to achieve its goal of responding to the crisis.
U.S. military retaliation is difficult for Biden to resolve political and trust crises
Now for the US government, the domestic political and trust crisis mainly comes from the struggle between the two parties. The Biden administration is facing a new round of attacks from the Republican Party. After the terrorist attack, the Republicans directly pointed at Biden and demanded that Biden resign; and even said that in the next stage, the impeachment process will be promoted in the U.S. Congress, which will inevitably cause a certain amount of energy for Biden. At present, only one retaliatory action is used to appease the United States. From the current point of view, the expected goal cannot be achieved. Everyone is paying attention to how the United States will withdraw in the next phase and whether it can have a relatively decent ending.
“Brow your head and close your eyes” screen at the registrant meeting
Some analysts pointed out that the attack on the 26th brought new shocks to Biden and his government. On the 26th local time, when US President Biden was interviewed by a Fox News reporter, there was an “interlude” of “lowering his head and closing his eyes”.
The shot of Biden lowering his head and eyes closed quickly became a hot topic on social media. The British “Independent” reported that “Biden held his chin with his hands during the tense confrontation with Fox reporters”; Australia Sky News reported that “this is a typical image of Biden during his presidency.” The “Washington Post” also used this image as the cover image of the corresponding video in its report, pointing out that this is the most turbulent crisis encountered during Biden’s tenure so far. Several Republicans reposted the picture, believing that Biden does not have the leadership skills needed to continue as president. Matt Whitlock, a senior Republican policy adviser, said, “A typical image.” Republican Representative Anthony Sabbatini of Florida ridiculed, “Now is the time for Biden to resign.”
What is the far-reaching impact of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on U.S. domestic and foreign affairs?
Special commentator Su Xiaohui: Biden lowered his head and closed his eyes. I think this is a deliberately chosen and weak image. For an image like Biden, there are indeed different opinions in the United States now, and there are ridicules, and some even say that he is asleep. In such a weak way, Biden hopes to arouse domestic sympathy, to divert his attention, and to avoid some attacks at the same time. If someone attacks him at this time, Biden can emphasize that the United States should tackle the challenge together instead of creating more internal differences. At present, the domestic political vortex is still continuing in the United States. The internal fighting between the two parties will cause more internal friction in the future political process of the United States. For the Biden administration, this is also a problem that must be dealt with.
For American allies, they originally hoped that “the United States is back”, but what they see now is that “the United States has accelerated its withdrawal.” The international image of the United States will also be affected in a series. Among all the crises, the most important thing is everyone’s renewed understanding of the US priority principle. The US priority principle is the core “epicenter” of this US diplomatic crisis.
Will Kabul Airport still be at risk of terrorist attacks in the next three days?
International counter-terrorism expert Li Wei: The risk of terrorist attacks facing Kabul International Airport is still on the rise, and now another factor has been added. The United States announced that it has killed the important leader of the “Khorasan Organization”, then “Khorasan” Whether the organization will conduct terrorist attacks in the last three days of the U.S. withdrawal, this possibility is still very high.