Blinken: US ended America’s longest war in Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (TOLO News): Two years ago, on 15 August/ 24 Asad, the Republic government fell, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan took power, and the US completely withdrew from Afghanistan. 

On the second anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s takeover of Afghanistan, Secretary Antony Blinken at a press conference answering the question about US withdrawal from Afghanistan said that the US ended America’s longest war in Afghanistan. 

“The decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was an incredibly difficult one, but also the right one.  We ended America’s longest war.  For the first time in 20 years, we don’t have another generation of young Americans going to fight and die in Afghanistan.” Blinken. 

Blinken added that “August 31st to August 1st of this year – nearly 34,000 Special Immigrant Visas to principal applicants and their family members have been issued … and these people have been able to leave Afghanistan and come to the United States.” 

“We remain the leading donor of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, some $1.9 billion since August of 2021. And we continue to work to hold the Taliban accountable for the many commitments that it’s made and not fulfilled, particularly when it comes to the rights of women and girls.  We’ve been very clear with the Taliban, and dozens of countries around the world have been very clear, that the path to any more normal relationship between the Taliban and other countries will be blocked unless and until the rights of women and girls, among other things, are actually supported,” Blinken said. 

Despite the Islamic Emirate’s two-year anniversary, no nation has formally recognized it so far. 

The Islamic Emirate has always said that it has fulfilled all the conditions for recognition and should be recognized by the international community.