G7 leaders will gather on Tuesday for “urgent discussions” over Afghanistan, where the Taliban have refused the international operation to evacuate thousands of foreigners and Afghan collaborators to cross the “red line” of 31 August.
The meeting, in virtual format, was convened by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose country currently chairs the group of the most developed economies, the so-called G7.
In addition to the United Kingdom, the G7 includes Germany, Canada, the United States of America, France, Italy and Japan.
The meeting comes at a time of heightened tension between the Taliban and international forces over the deadline to finish the withdrawal of thousands of people who have been massing at Kabul airport since the rebel takeover on 15 August.
The US has evacuated 37,000 people from Afghanistan since 14 August, rising to 42,000 since the end of July, while the UK has transported 6,600 since the eve of the takeover of Kabul.
Faced with criticism of his handling of the process, President Joe Biden admitted to extending the operation beyond Aug. 31, the date he had set to end the withdrawal of US troops after a 20-year war in Afghanistan.
The United Kingdom indicated that it intends to discuss the issue, not least because it depends, like other countries, on the security structure that US forces maintain at the airport in Kabul, where there are also threats of attacks.
“When they [EUA] if they withdraw, they will take the structure… and we will have to leave as well”, summed up British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, warning that the operation must now be measured “by hours, not weeks”.
The question did not go without a clear answer from the Taliban, who defined the deadline for the exit of foreign forces as a “red line”.
“If the US or the UK asks for more time to continue evacuations, the answer is no. Or there will be consequences,” Taliban spokesman Shuail Shaheen said on the eve of the G7.
Rebel movement sources said that, at the very least, the Taliban will not announce their government as long as there is a US soldier in the country.
With a week before the August 31 deadline, the G7 is expected to discuss a common position to deal with the Taliban, with immediate sanctions being accepted, but the situation in Kabul could condition any measures.
On the ground, thousands of Afghans are still hoping to escape the extremism of the Taliban, who have been striving to give a softer image of themselves in the face of memories of the violence that characterized their first government (1996-2001).
Source: https://newswep.com
