The “forever war” is not ending, America is just leaving it.

Posted by :

July 2, 2021

Stephen Collinson and Caitlin Hu

' I don't think that there is a guarantee'

The "forever war" is not ending, America is just leaving it.

Nearly 20 years after the September 11 attacks prompted a US assault on al Qaeda havens in Taliban-ruled areas of Afghanistan, this week is expected to mark the formal end of US involvement in the conflict.

Around 1,000 US troops are expected to stay to protect the US Embassy and Kabul's airport — a lifeline for the US-backed democratic government and its armed forces. But President Joe Biden will achieve what three presidents who preceded him failed to do -- he will quit America's longest war.

There's no sign the fighting will stop. War raged in Afghanistan long before the US arrived and it is likely to do so long after it has gone, to the misery of a people who have suffered far too much.

The Taliban have been marching across the country, seizing dozens of districts and sparking fears that the Kabul government could fall. The top US general in the country, Austin Miller, told The New York Times this week that civil war was a real possibility. None of this, however, will reverse the US departure. Biden has long been an Afghan War skeptic and asked a simple question: If not now, when will the US ever leave? He argues that potential terror launching pads fester across the globe but are handled without US combat boots on the ground.

There is no huge popular groundswell to get troops out. Given low casualty rates, many Americans probably don't know that the country still has soldiers in Afghanistan. But when the public doesn't know why a war is being fought, it's probably a sign that it needs to be wrapped up.

Early on, the war was a success from a strategic perspective: The Taliban were routed and al Qaeda was on the run. True, it took another decade to get Osama bin Laden, but there were no follow-up terrorist spectaculars after 9/11. Then the Bush administration launched another war, in Iraq, and seeded another 18 years of quagmire in Afghanistan. We'll never know how things might have turned out otherwise.

'I don't think that there is a guarantee'

Asked about the possibility that the Taliban overthrow the Afghan government, Afghan official Abdullah Abdullah told CNN's Anna Coren and Sandi Sidhu that "it will not happen" — but that there is no "guarantee" that the country will not become a haven for terrorists again. He also said "unity amongst the political leaders" of Afghanistan could make or break avoiding a collapse in government.

'The opposite side was not interested in the peace talks'

Meanwhile, the Taliban, who have seized control of at least 50 Afghan provinces since May, accuse the Afghan government of slacking on peace negotiations. "Our intention was to make some progress, but the opposite side was not interested in the peace talks," Taliban political office spokesman Mohammad Naeem said in a video statement released Wednesday and obtained by CNN.

Subscribe to Meanwhile in America

The world and America

Turkey quit a global treaty to prevent violence against women.

More than 17,000 people have fled to temporary shelters amid gang violence in Haiti.

Princes William and Harry reunited at a tribute to their late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

And 130 governments agreed to a framework for a global corporate tax overhaul.

Meanwhile in America, the Supreme Court gave a tacit green light to restrictive voting laws.

Search and rescue operations at the collapsed Surfside, Florida, condo paused over safety concerns.

And a California basketball team lost its title for throwing tortillas at Latino rivals.

Princes William and Prince Harry at the unveiling of a statue dedicated to Diana at Kensington Palace on Thursday.

Catch up on the Trump Organization charges

What happened: New York prosecutors unveiled charges against the Trump Organization, Trump Payroll Corp. and Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, centering on an alleged scheme to compensate Weisselberg and other execs "off the books."

Among other things, prosecutors allege the Trump Organization handsomely supplemented Weisselberg's reported salary by paying for his Upper West Side apartment and leasing his Mercedes-Benz cars, and that personal checks by Donald J. Trump covered private school tuition for members of Weisselberg's family. In total, Weisselberg's "indirect compensation" since 2005 amounts to $1.76 million, they estimate, alleging that neither he nor the organization correctly paid taxes on the sum.

What they say
Weisselberg, the Trump Organization and Trump Payroll have all pleaded not guilty.

Trump issued a predictable statement alleging a witch hunt: "The political Witch Hunt by the Radical Left Democrats, with New York now taking over the assignment, continues. It is dividing our Country like never before!"

Why it matters
Weisselberg was Trump's longtime lieutenant in business throughout a relationship that stretches back to 1973. The charges are expected to pile on pressure for Weisselberg to cooperate with prosecutors as they investigate Trump himself, the company and its executives.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said Thursday that "the investigation will continue, and we will follow the facts and the law wherever they may lead." In other words, this is far from over.

Thanks for reading.

Friday is World UFO Day. German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets with Queen Elizabeth II and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The city of Siena, Italy, hosts its annual "Palio di Siena" horse race.

On Saturday, Trump's planning a rally in Sarasota, Florida. An EU ban on the 10 plastic products that most commonly wash up on the continent's shores goes into effect.Tropical Storm Elsa could hit several Caribbean nations.

And Sunday is Independence Day in the US. The White House will host a celebration for thousands of essential workers and military families on the South Lawn. Tokyo holds an assembly election.