Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff. Mark Milley
Mark Milley: Milley says “likely” civil war in Afghanistan Pentagon will increase mental health spread after collapse of Afghanistan The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by AT&T he said he believed it was “likely” that the conditions for a future civil war in Afghanistan could develop after the withdrawal of U.S. troops.
The general also claimed that civil war in the region could lead to the resurgence of groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, among others.
During an interview with Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin in Ramstein, Germany, which aired on Saturday, the journalist asked Milley if the United States was safer today since the country withdrew its troops from the United States. Afghanistan.
“Well, you know that’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot. And personally I think my military estimate is that the conditions for a civil war are likely to develop. I don’t know if the Taliban will be able to consolidate power and establish governance, maybe yes, maybe no, “Milley told Griffin.
“But I think there is at least a very good chance of a broader civil war, which in turn will lead to conditions that could in fact lead to the reconstitution of al-Qaeda or the growth of ISIS or ‘countless other terrorist groups,’ added Milley, who noted that officials still do not know for sure the fate of Afghanistan.
Milley noted that it would be a “very difficult political decision” when asked if he could foresee a situation in which US troops would have to return to Afghanistan.
“I would not say yes or no to anything in reality. I think yes, it’s too early to say anything like that right now, ”Milley said, adding that they should continue to monitor the intelligence situation.
The general’s comments came after a chaotic August, in which the international community saw the rapid deterioration of the Afghan government at the hands of the Taliban. The insurgent group consolidated power in a matter of days and on 15 August took the capital Kabul.
The United States withdrew its troops on August 31, putting an end to a 20-year conflict that was sparked by the September 11 terrorist attacks on American soil.
Nineteen members of the Al Qaeda terrorist group boarded and attacked planes that were used in attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. About 3,000 people died that day.
The withdrawal became chaotic after the Taliban took control and the end of U.S. involvement was marked by violence, bombings, deaths and acts of despair by Afghan citizens wishing to flee the country.
State officials and lawmakers are concerned that Afghanistan may be a center of terrorism after the U.S. withdrawal, as there is no longer a U.S. military or allied presence on the ground.
The Taliban claimed that it has evolved from its previous government in the late 1990s, saying the group will not go after enemies and respect women’s rights under the Islamic framework, but many in the international community and Afghanistan itself continue. being skeptical.
President Biden
Joe Biden, Milley, says civil war is “likely” in Afghanistan Parts of southeastern Louisiana could regain power by Sept. 29. It is time to transform our unemployment system MORE he has defended his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, arguing that he did not want to prolong a war that already existed in the country.
“To those who call for a third decade of war in Afghanistan, I ask: what is the vital national interest? In my opinion, we have only one: to make sure that Afghanistan can never be used again to launch an attack on our homeland. ” Biden said this on Tuesday after the last troops left Afghanistan.
Milley made predictions similar to those made in the Senate on Saturday in August, warning lawmakers of a possible rise in terrorist groups in Afghanistan amid the country’s takeover by the Taliban.