By sending in 3,000 additional troops into Afghanistan to assist with the departure of diplomats and possible evacuations, the US now will have more troops in the country than what they initially had when they began withdrawal, CNN’s Nick Patton Walsh reported Thursday.
“So, we’re into this extraordinary two- to three-week period. Because they will leave the end of August as part of the plan in which the Americans can be sending in large numbers of troops, obviously with air cover and enablers to keep themselves safe. So essentially establishing a military presence in Kabul,” Patton Walsh told CNN’s Julia Chatterly.
He continued, “It will doubtless have an impact on some of the nearby buildings in areas, providing a degree of security blanket for many of the important parts of Kabul. And frankly, a significant warning sign for the Taliban to stay back from the capital. Not that at this stage, they look like they’re moving close to it that fast. But you then have a situation, two to three weeks down the line, when the US has pulled out its civilian staff, has presumably got out most of the people it wants to see out as part of its’ special immigrant visa program, for those who worked with the Americans. And will then have to… leave again. So that is an extraordinary decision to make and would likely be an extraordinary visual, frankly, when it comes down the road at the end of the month.”
Patton Walsh also elaborated on the stunning ground the Taliban was able to gain, now controlling 12 provincial capitals, including the country’s third largest city Herat and also the city of Ghazni.
“The situation is frankly dire. In one week we’ve seen at least a third of Kabul’s main cities falling to the Taliban. Nobody thought the advance would be this fast,” he said.