KABUL: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has asserted that the remobilisation of the country’s armed forces was a “top priority”, assuring that his government will ward off further violence and displacement of people.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has addressed the Afghan people after keeping largely silent on the Taliban advances. The insurgents pushed closer to Kabul, capturing a key city near Afghanistan’s capital as American troops flew in to help evacuate embassy personnel.
“In the current situation, the remobilisation of our security and defence forces is our top priority, and serious steps are being taken in this regard,” he said in a televised speech today (Saturday).
He gave no hint he would resign or take responsibility for the current situation. “We have held extensive consultations with everyone within the government and international partners. Consultations are ongoing and the results will be shared soon,” he added.
“As a historic mission, I will not let the imposed war on people cause more deaths,” assured the president. Ashraf Ghani also praised the forces “that have defended the nation courageously and showed strong determination”.
With the country’s second and third-largest cities having fallen into Taliban hands, Kabul has effectively become a besieged last stand for government forces who have offered little or no resistance elsewhere.
Insurgent fighters are now camped just 50 kilometres (30 miles) away, leaving the United States and other countries scrambling to airlift their nationals out of Kabul ahead of a feared all-out assault.
Despite the frantic evacuation efforts, the Biden administration continues to insist that a complete Taliban takeover is not inevitable. “Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday, while acknowledging that Taliban fighters were trying to isolate the city.
