DefenceTalkThe collapse of the Afghan army that allowed Taliban fighters to take control of Kabul cast a stark light on errors committed over 20 years by the Pentagon as it spent billions of dollars in Afghanistan. The wrong equipment Washington spent $83 billion in its effort to create a modern army mirroring its own. In […]

DefenceTalkThe United States said Thursday it was sending 3,000 troops to the international airport in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul immediately to evacuate US embassy staff as the Taliban makes rapid gains. “We are further reducing our civilian footprint in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters. “This president […]

DefenceTalkThe failure of Afghan security forces to blunt the advance of the Taliban has left US officials deeply frustrated after spending billions to train and equip the country’s military for two decades. President Joe Biden and other officials have repeatedly called for Afghan leaders to unite and fashion a clear strategy amid mounting worries that […]

DefenceTalkThe Taliban seized two more Afghan cities Tuesday — including one just 200 kilometres (125 miles) from Kabul — as tens of thousands of people fled their homes in the north for the relative safety of the capital and other centres. But despite the bloodshed, and with eight provincial capitals now toppled in the insurgents’ […]

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe Taliban on Friday rejected Washington’s accusations that it had not lived up to its promises in Afghanistan, in turn claiming the US was ‘bombarding civilians’. The US signed a landmark deal with the insurgents last year, agreeing to withdraw all of its troops from the country in return for security guarantees after a stalemate […]https://www.defencetalk.com/taliban-says-us-bombarding-civilians-houses-in-violation-of-afghan-deal-76713/

DefenceTalkThe US military withdrawal from Afghanistan is considerably ahead of schedule, an official told AFP on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump reiterated calls for the Pentagon to bring troops home. The developments came as questions loomed over the next phase of Afghanistan’s long war following a historic, three-day ceasefire that led to a major drop […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-troop-pullout-from-afghanistan-ahead-of-schedule-75682/

DefenceTalkNATO’s US-led mission in Afghanistan is withholding key information about Taliban attacks, a US government watchdog said Friday, potentially making insights into the war harder just as the Pentagon slashes its troop presence. The Resolute Support (RS) mission previously disclosed data on “enemy-initiated attacks”, one of the few remaining public metrics of the conflict and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-withholds-key-information-on-taliban-attacks-watchdog-75352/

DefenceTalkThe United States and the Taliban stand on the verge of signing a historic deal that would see the Pentagon pull thousands of troops from Afghanistan. Here are some details about the accord and its implications for the war-wracked nation: Have the two sides agreed to a ceasefire? Not quite, but the Taliban, US and […]https://www.defencetalk.com/afghanistan-where-things-stand-and-what-lies-ahead-74282/

WASHINGTON: The chief Taliban negotiator has been recalled to Washington and the US is not withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, announced the Trump administration on Monday amid threats by the Taliban to inflict more losses. However, there was also an indication from the US government that the process of reconciliation with the Taliban would continue. […]

DefenceTalkKabul: US forces could leave Afghanistan within five years under a Pentagon plan being offered as part of a potential deal with the Taliban to end the nearly 18-year war, the New York Times has reported. Negotiations are believed to be progressing after high-level talks last month ended with a “draft framework” on potential US […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-could-withdraw-troops-from-afghanistan-within-five-years-nyt-72161/