Diplomats, Defense Officials Try to Ease Fears Over US Withdrawal From Afghanistan

Key U.S. diplomats and defense officials are pushing back against concerns that the withdrawal of American and coalition troops from Afghanistan could backfire, telling lawmakers there is reason to believe that the country will never again become the launching pad for terrorist attacks against the United States.  US CT for post-withdrawal #Afghanistan: "We're looking at options within the region...the planning for that is ongoing" per @DeptofDefense's Helvey"There is an earnest planning effort" per @thejointstaff's BrigGen Matthew Trollinger, deputy director of Politico-Military Affairs From December 2020-February 2021 #Afghanistan gvt forces also "withdrew from more than 200 checkpoints in #Kandahar" per info from @DefenseIntel #ANDSF further "reduced the police presence from 6,000 checkpoints to 113 bases and 3,700 checkpoints" per the @DoD_IG report #Taliban-#alQaida split uncertain, per @DoD_IG based on @DefenseIntel infoAQ "continues to rely on the #Taliban for protection, and the two groups have reinforced ties over the past decades, likely making it difficult for an organizational split to occur" per report

In testimony Thursday before lawmakers in Washington, the officials acknowledged that while some critical details of the U.S. military's post-withdrawal posture remain uncertain, efforts behind the scenes appear to be paying off.  "There is progress," Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, told members of the House Oversight Committee's national security subcommittee, declining to share details in an unclassified setting.  At a separate hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, defense officials offered assurances of their own.