"Prolonged" Afghan Civil War Likely: Former US Envoy
NDTV
The insurgents have snatched five provincial capitals since Friday in a lightning offensive, almost a month before the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that sparked the American-led invasion.
A prolonged civil war in Afghanistan is more likely than a rapid Taliban takeover as the United States' full military withdrawal nears, Washington's former ambassador to Kabul said Sunday. The insurgents have snatched five provincial capitals since Friday in a lightning offensive, almost a month before the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks that sparked the American-led invasion. "A prolonged civil war is a more likely outcome than a swift Taliban takeover of the entire country. They're being very smart about this. They're not launching major strikes into Kabul," former US ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, told ABC's "This Week". Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul and Taloqan in the north fell within hours of each other Sunday, lawmakers, security sources and residents in the cities confirmed.More Related News