Taliban expect US withdrawal in May; vow to restore Islamic rule

Taliban stand firm on demand for an Islamic government in Afghanistan, without elaborating on what it would look like.

The Taliban warned the United States on Friday against defying a May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, promising a “reaction” though failing to specify exactly what it would be. The Taliban issued their warning at a press conference in Moscow, the day after meeting with senior Afghan government negotiators and international observers to try to jump-start a stalled peace process to end Afghanistan’s decades of war. US President Joe Biden’s administration says it is reviewing an agreement that the Taliban signed with the administration for former President Donald Trump. Biden told ABC in an interview on Wednesday that the May 1 deadline “could happen, but it is tough”, adding that if the deadline is extended it will be by “a lot longer”.