NATO's Withdrawal Risks Turning Afghanistan Back Into Terrorist Haven - Stoltenberg

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th February, 2021) NATO is faced with an uneasy choice of whether or not to pull troops out of Afghanistan, with the withdrawal potentially leading to a mass return of terrorists, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Sunday.

"We can stay and continue the military engagement. Or we can leave Afghanistan and risk the country turning into a safe haven for terrorists again. There is no easy choice," Stoltenberg told German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

The Taliban have failed their promise to reduce violence and cut ties with terrorist groups, the NATO chief said, pointing to an "unacceptable level" of violence by the radical movement against such groups as medical workers and journalists.

At the same time, Stoltenberg said that no NATO member wanted to stay in Afghanistan "any longer than necessary."

"The coming days and weeks are important. The first meeting of NATO defense ministers with the new US administration is coming up, and I expect the allies to deliberate intensively on the future of NATO's presence in Afghanistan," the secretary general said.

The Taliban committed to reducing violence as part of a US-brokered pact with the Afghan government last February. This made it possible for the sides to engage in landmark peace talks that will ideally result in a permanent reconciliation after almost 20 years of war, as well as lead to the withdrawal of foreign troops.

The NATO contingent has been present in Afghanistan since 2003 as part of the UN-mandated international coalition known as the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). In 2015, the expired ISAF was replaced with the Resolute Support Mission with a non-combat mandate to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces. As of last August, the mission including around 10,000 personnel from 36 NATO and partner countries.