The US and Turkey have reached a deal on Kabul Airport security, but the Taliban has issued a statement on Sunday expressing opposition to the idea, saying they don’t want any foreign troops present after the pullout deadline.
The US has been pushing for Turkey to stay at the airport, and has argued it is necessary to have foreign security to allow embassies to remain open in Kabul.
The US made a deal to be out of Afghanistan by May, but then decided to stay for an additional four months. Now, officials say they will be out by August 31, with troops staying to secure the embassy.
Whether foreign troops are really needed for the airport has been disputed, with Afghan officials saying they believe they can secure the airport with their own troops, and the Taliban similarly dismissing the idea that the airport faces a threat.
Where, when and who came up with this Turkey of an idea. Is it just another delaying tactic or does it have some bit of semblance toward an orderly handover?
Turkey has worked well as a Western proxy/chaos agent in Libya and Syria. Maybe we can get some more Ottoman action and give them a portfolio including Afghan/India/Pakistan etc…. I also want the Saudis and Qataris to have their own fiefdoms in Afghanistan so they can push their own eclectic sectarian wars on yet another Muslim land.
Turkey was already doing this job, as its NATO contribution to the war. The idea is, “Don’t stop, even when we stop, because that is our way out of Kabul just like the Embassy Roof was our way out of Saigon. You be the last man standing as we run.”
Pity the last US Ambassador. I nominate the great general, David Petreus, expert at baksheesh.