Taliban takeover in Afghanistan may encourage extremists around the world: US CENTCOM chief, Gen. McKenzie

Abu Dhabi: – ‘The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan is a source of encouragement to extremists worldwide. The United States needs to be very careful about this,’ said Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US Central Command-CENTCOM. Reminding that IS had emerged in Iraq after the US withdrew in 2014, General McKenzie cautioned the Biden administration about Afghanistan.

The United States has been widely criticised for hastily withdrawing troops from Afghanistan. It is being accused that President Joe Biden’s wrong policies are being blamed. Speaking to a news agency in the UAE, General McKenzie, the head of the US CENTCOM, admitted that withdrawing troops from Afghanistan was wrong. General McKenzie also said that the United States would conduct an in-depth study on exactly where the mistake was made.

At the same time, General McKenzie indirectly acknowledged that there was no need for a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan. ‘The rapid withdrawal of the United States from Iraq in 2014 and Afghanistan in 2021 has taught the United States two major lessons. After the 2014 military coup, the Iraqi army collapsed and IS infiltrated Iraq. As of today, a few US troops are stationed in Iraq. But they are also assisting the Iraqi army succeed in its fight against IS,’ said McKenzie, who is concerned about the emergence of a new terrorist organisation after the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

At the Doha meeting, the Taliban had agreed that it would not allow Afghanistan to become a terrorist hub. But the Taliban cannot be trusted, McKenzie said. Stating that there was no evidence that the Taliban had severed ties with Al Qaeda or IS, the CENTCOM chief clarified that he was keeping a close eye on the Taliban. At the same time, General McKenzie has made a suggestive statement that the United States is still present in the region, despite withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Long ago, General McKenzie had presented a stance that the United States should not withdraw entirely from Afghanistan. At the time, he said that a small number of troops were required to be present in Afghanistan to protect US interests. Last month as well, the CENTCOM chief sternly presented this stance at a Senate hearing.