US Marines wait to board helicopters as they leave to take part in Operation Khanjar - Strike of the Sword - at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Photo: AFP/ Manpreet Romana
Salman Rafi Sheikh, Asia Times: Biden faces stay or go dilemma in Afghanistan
Biden plans to 'review' Trump's withdrawal plan and could seek to keep 'residual' presence until a government-Taliban settlement is reached
As new US President Joe Biden works to undo many of his predecessor Donald Trump’s foreign policies and legacies, the outgoing administration’s war-ending Afghanistan policy is likely to endure – albeit it with a potential deal-breaking tweak.
Speculation is rife that Biden will seek to delay America’s troop drawdown – currently scheduled for a complete withdrawal of 2,500 remaining troops by May, as per a February 2020 agreement with the Taliban – for what some are calling a slower, “more responsible” departure.
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WNU Editor: If President Biden decides to not withdraw the remaining US forces by May as per a February 2020 agreement with the Taliban. I see the following outcome. The remaining U.S. soldiers will be there for the next few years, and there will be a very real possibility that their numbers will increase significantly.
