Taliban warns as US, NATO begin to withdraw troops from Afghanistan

dpa Kabul By missing an agreed Saturday deadline for leaving Afghanistan, international forces that are there and working on being gone in a few months ha...

dpaKabul By missing an agreed Saturday deadline for leaving Afghanistan, international forces that are there and working on being gone in a few months have “opened the way” for the Taliban to retaliate against them, the militants say.The formal withdrawal of US and NATO forces began on Saturday and is due to be completed by September 11, although military equipment had already started leaving the country weeks ago.After 20 years of international troops’ presence, the withdrawal leaves Afghanistan to a potentially bleak future amid rising attacks by Taliban insurgents.The Taliban said on Saturday that the withdrawal was too late, as the deal it struck with the US last year called for it to be completed by Saturday.The “agreed upon May 1st deadline has passed,” the Taliban said in a statement tweeted in English. That deal was struck between the Taliban and the previous US administration. US President Joe Biden recently unilaterally pushed the withdrawal date back to September 11.“This violation in principle has opened the way for IEA [the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan - the name used for the country by the Taliban] mujahidin to take every counteraction it deems appropriate against the occupying forces,” it said.The group said that their fighters would now await a decision from their leadership “in light of the sovereignty, values and higher interests of the country.” Almost 10,000 NATO soldiers from the Resolute Support training mission - including 2,500 soldiers from the US and around 1,100 from Germany, the two biggest contingents - are due to leave the country by September 11.  NATO said that the security of the troops during the withdrawal would be the highest priority, which is why it refused to give details about the withdrawal operation. According to last data, troops from 36 NATO countries and partners had forces in Afghanistan.There are fears the Taliban might attack the forces during the withdrawal. A NATO official said any attacks would be met with a forceful response.The German military said earlier this month it was planning a more rapid withdrawal, perhaps by the start of July, but a date has not been confirmed.The German Defence Ministry said that there was a symbolic handover of keys in Camp Pamir, in Kunduz, this week, as German forces ceded control of the part of the camp they had used to Afghan forces. The ministry tweeted that Germany was departing Afghanistan with pride, having accomplished its troop training mission.But military analysts say there is a good chance threat levels will rise in the coming months as the withdrawal progresses. The US Army has set aside heavy weapons to provide protection, while Germany has sent in special commando team for the same purpose.The withdrawal of the international forces will be a test for the Afghan security forces, which will have to defend the territory it currently controls and support the government without direct international support.Afghan troops watching the withdrawal expressed trepidation. One soldier in Kabul said he didn’t have “a particularly good feeling” about the decision.The soldier said only special forces were truly equipped to provide the necessary protection and that most members of the Afghan forces had not really believed that the US forces would actually leave.But he said it was also clear that the Afghan forces would have to fight for their country now, “with or without the Americans.” But he also expressed worries that munitions and weapons would start disappearing. He said some colleagues are openly preparing for a civil war.