'Bomb Terror in Local Situation'... Japan Faces Difficulties in Afghan Withdrawal Operation

Internal Criticism of "Judgment Mistake" Within the Government

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The evacuation operation of Japanese nationals and local staff by Japan Self-Defense Forces transport aircraft dispatched to Afghanistan is facing difficulties due to various issues, including a terrorist attack near Kabul Airport.

Evacuation has not been possible as evacuees have failed to reach Kabul Airport, and the operational environment has worsened following a bomb terror incident.

According to Kyodo News on the 27th, voices of anger are emerging within the Ministry of Defense and the Self-Defense Forces, stating, "Troops were dispatched under the assumption of safety without fully understanding the local situation, putting them in danger. This is clearly a political misjudgment."

Earlier, the Japanese government sent one C-2 transport aircraft and two C-130 transport aircraft belonging to the Air Self-Defense Force, along with one government aircraft, to Pakistan from the 23rd to the 26th to evacuate Japanese nationals remaining in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, as well as Afghan staff and their families who worked at the Japanese Embassy and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

From the 25th to the 26th, the transport aircraft flew twice from Islamabad, Pakistan, to Kabul Airport, Afghanistan, but the evacuation operation could not proceed properly as evacuees failed to arrive at the airport.

The Japanese government requested evacuees to move to the airport on their own, but due to the complex local situation and Taliban checkpoints around the airport, access to the airport appears difficult. Furthermore, a large-scale bomb terror incident occurred the previous day, putting the safety of the deployed Self-Defense Forces personnel in jeopardy.

A Ministry of Defense official who reported the situation to Kyodo News said, "Embassy staff evacuated first, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tried to communicate with the Taliban through various channels (to ensure the success of the evacuation operation), but it was unrealistic."

Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi issued the order to dispatch the transport aircraft on the 23rd. At that time, the Japanese government planned to complete the evacuation of hopeful evacuees by the 27th, four days earlier than the U.S. military withdrawal deadline from Afghanistan on the 31st, but achieving this goal now seems difficult.

Another Ministry of Defense official told Kyodo News, "If we had acted faster, other developments might have been possible," adding, "Now, we can only hope that the troops return safely."