Tonight, US President Joe Biden will give a speech: he wants all US military to leave the country by September 11, 2021. Other NATO countries, such as Germany, are following the American example. The Netherlands cannot function without American and German support.
Force decision
The NATO force in Afghanistan must withdraw jointly, Germany believes. “We have always said: go out together, at home together,” German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer told ARD broadcaster. “I am in favor of an orderly departure and I assume that we, NATO, will agree to that today.”
According to Kramp-Karrenbauer, it is likely that the departure will take place in September.
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Very dependent
Dutch defense ministers have also emphasized time and again that the principle applies: ‘out together, at home together’. The Dutch military are very dependent on American and German soldiers.
For example, the US provides air support, drones and support. The NATO mission in northern Afghanistan is led by a German soldier.
American withdrawal
The then US President Donald Trump had already announced the withdrawal of the US military as of May 1. The new president Joe Biden has now moved the date back to September 11th.
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is today for consultation at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Blinken says Washington is working on a ‘coordinated’ departure in consultation with NATO partners. “We have achieved our goals and now is the time to bring our troops home.”
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The September withdrawal is to end the longest war waged by the United States and its allies, initially in retaliation for the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US.
80 Dutch people extra
About 160 Dutch soldiers are currently participating in the NATO Resolute Support mission, whose main task is to train and advise the Afghan army. That number will be increased this month by 80 Dutch people, for safety reasons. These are so-called infantrymen of the army who were on standby as a precautionary measure.
Due to the withdrawal, the security situation in the country is deteriorating. Foreign troops can also be targeted more often. The military must be deployable by April 30, the Ministry of Defense said earlier.
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