Announcement One Day Before Ashraf Ghani's White House Visit on the 25th
Afghan Withdrawal Expected to Be a Key Issue... Taliban Offensive Intensifies
[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The U.S. government announced it will provide 3 million doses of the Janssen vaccine to Afghanistan a day before Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's visit to the White House. It is analyzed that the vaccine was given as a pre-visit gift to demonstrate the U.S.'s willingness to support, as President Ghani is expected to appeal for U.S. measures regarding the withdrawal of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan and the subsequent intensification of Taliban offensives during the summit.
On the 24th (local time), White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated in a press briefing, "We will provide 3 million doses of the Janssen vaccine to Afghanistan," adding, "The Janssen vaccines will be transported next week, along with oxygen and medical supplies." The 3 million doses of vaccines provided to Afghanistan are part of the 55 million doses the Biden administration announced on the 21st to support the international community.
This Afghan vaccine support was announced a day before President Ashraf Ghani's visit to the White House. It is interpreted as a pre-visit gift to showcase the U.S.'s strong willingness to support Afghanistan. On the 25th, President Ghani is scheduled to meet with President Biden at the White House along with Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, to discuss the withdrawal process of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan and subsequent stabilization plans.
Currently, more than half of the U.S. troops have withdrawn from Afghanistan, and the Taliban's offensives have intensified, putting the Afghan government forces on the defensive. On the 22nd, Deborah Lyons, the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan, appeared before the UN Security Council and emphasized, "Since May, more than 50 out of 370 districts in Afghanistan have fallen to the Taliban," adding, "The recent advances of the Taliban have become more pronounced, which is the result of intensified military operations." The day before, U.S. intelligence agencies also warned that the Afghan government forces could collapse under the Taliban within six months after the U.S. troop withdrawal is completed.
Nevertheless, the Biden administration has made it clear that it has no intention of delaying the withdrawal from Afghanistan. On the previous day, General Mark Milley, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared at the House Armed Services Committee budget hearing and stated, "The Afghan military and police forces number over 300,000, and it is their duty to defend their country," indicating that the U.S. troop withdrawal will proceed as scheduled.
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