Kabul
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s much-vaunted meeting with his US counterpart has proved to be a “damp squib” amid Washington’s failure to promise future military support, said several MPs.
The MPs were hoping for a US pledge to ensure the Kabul government’s survival after all foreign troops leave Afghanistan on Sept. 11.
President Joe Biden held his first face-to-face meeting with Ghani at the White House on Friday amid a phased withdrawal of troops from the war-torn country that will end Washington’s 20-year involvement in Afghanistan.
Ghani has for long sought an audience with Biden, hoping that the US leader would either abandon the total pullout of troops or provide aerial support for local forces to limit the Taliban’s territorial gains.
Instead, the US president urged Afghans “to decide their future,” saying that it was “time for Washington to step back.” Biden also promised economic support to ensure stability and peace in Afghanistan.
Ghani said that he “respects and supports” Biden’s “historic” decision to withdraw US troops.
However, Afghan officials say that the “dialogue without deliverance” has failed to guarantee the Kabul government’s survival.
