Afghan Government Facing 'Existential Crisis'

WASHINGTON - The Afghan government in Kabul will be fighting for its life and could well fall to the Taliban after the United States completes its military withdrawal from the country in August, according to a U.S. government watchdog charged with monitoring events on the ground. NEW: US airstrikes in #Afghanistan - "we're prepared to continue this heightened level of support in the coming weeks if the #Taliban continue their attacks" per @CENTCOM Commander Gen Frank McKenzie

Despite a series of cautiously optimistic assessments by high-ranking U.S. military officials and Afghan leaders, a new report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) describes the situation as "bleak" and echoes concerns that Afghan security forces are not ready to mount any meaningful resistance. "The overall trend is clearly unfavorable to the Afghan government, which could face an existential crisis if it isn't addressed and reversed," Special Inspector General John Sopko wrote in the report, released Wednesday. "The ANDSF (Afghan National Defense and Security Forces) has retaken some districts and the Afghan government still controls all 34 provincial capitals, including Kabul," he added. "But from public reporting, the ANDSF appeared surprised and unready, and is now on its back foot."