On Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) gave its weekly update on the Afghanistan withdrawal and said the process is about 16 to 25 percent complete. The command is not disclosing troop numbers but said the US has removed approximately 160 C-17 cargo planeloads worth of material out of the country.
CENTCOM also said that more than 10,000 pieces of equipment have been turned over to the Defense Logistics Agency for destruction. As of Monday, the US had officially handed over five military facilities to the Afghan government.
President Biden set September 11th as the withdrawal deadline, but according to a report from The New York Times, the US and its allies are expected to be out by mid-July.
Both the US and NATO plan to continue supporting the Afghan government financially. Last week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance will train Afghan forces outside of Afghanistan, an option that is also being considered by the US.
The US also wants to maintain the ability to bomb Afghanistan, and Pentagon officials have discussed possibly repositioning forces in neighboring countries. But so far, the US has not officially announced any plans to base troops elsewhere in the region. On Monday, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said even though troops are being removed from Afghanistan, the US is not “walking away from the region.”
Which is it, 16 or 25%….? Lol…!