Blinken says US pullout from Afghanistan could lead to civil war, Taliban takeover

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that President Biden’s plans to pull US forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11 could lead to a civil war or another Taliban takeover.

“That is certainly a possible scenario,” the top US diplomat said on CNN, adding that “no one has an interest in renewed civil war in Afghanistan, certainly the Afghan people don’t.” “Neither the Afghan government or the Taliban do, none of Afghanistan’s neighbors do, neighbors and other countries in the region that have basically been free riders for the last 20 years, as we’ve been engaged there with our NATO allies and partners,” Blinken told host Jake Tapper.