Local experts weigh in on President Biden’s plan to remove U.S. soldiers from Afghanistan
Apr 14, 2021, 7:20 PM
(Associated Press)
(Associated Press)
SALT LAKE CITY – Local experts were able to weigh in on President Biden’s plan to remove U.S. soldiers from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021.
Even after the U.S. pulls troops out of Afghanistan in September, some of these experts believe the fighting between the Afghani government and the Taliban will go on. However, they also believe the U.S. would be in a similar situation under former President Trump’s plan.
Analysts say at the height of the country’s involvement in Afghanistan, there were roughly 100 thousand American soldiers deployed to that country. World Trade Center Utah President Miles Hansen said there have been significant civil rights improvements in recent years in Afghanistan.
Plus the country made significant gains against Taliban forces in the first few years of the war. However, he believes not much has changed security-wise for over a decade.
Hansen said, “If you look at the security situation, it hasn’t changed dramatically in the past 15 years.”
He reported the U.S. has spent over $2 trillion on the war in Afghanistan, and he believes it’s time to take a closer look at how the country uses its time, money and resources in trying to secure the area.
Hansen said there are many factions and neighboring countries that have a lot more influence over the region than the U.S. does.
“The war is going to continue and it’s going to be a hard-fought fight between those Afghan security forces against the Taliban elements that have continued to persist over the past 20 years, despite our involvement there,” says Hansen.
Even if America isn’t serving in a combat role in Afghanistan, Hansen says we’ll still have a strong diplomatic presence in that country.
He said, “We have the ability to provide significant support to the Afghan government and to the Afghan people.”
For now, Hansen said there are possible threats that are becoming larger, which the U.S. should prepare for.
“Priority one, two and three should be China and what China’s rise and increasingly aggressive foreign policy means for us as Americans,” Hansen said. “That needs to be the top priority.”
