The US withdrawal from Afghanistan could trigger a “bloody, brutal civil war similar to that of the 1990s”, according to the former commander of American forces in the country.
Speaking to The Times, General David Petraeus gave his warning as the Taliban are rapidly gaining control of large swathes of the country.
“The rest of the world will see that we are not supporting democracy or maintaining the values that we promote around the world – human rights, particularly women’s rights, the right to education and freedom of speech and press – all very imperfect in Afghanistan, to be sure, but vastly better than if the Taliban reinstates a medieval Islamist regime,” he said.
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“The worst-case scenario is we could see a bloody, brutal civil war similar to that of the 1990s when the Taliban prevailed,” he added.
“If that were to happen we would likely see the return of an al-Qaeda sanctuary, although I don’t think [al-Qaeda] would be able to threaten the homeland and Europe in the near-term. And certainly, our intelligence services and military will be watching for that.”
Intense fighting is currently “raging around three major cities in south and west Afghanistan”, the BBC reports, with Taliban insurgents attempting to “seize them from government forces”. Herat, Lashkar Gah and Kandahar have all seen clashes, with concern rising that the Taliban will extend its “rapid rural gains”.
“The fate of these key cities could be crucial amid fears of a humanitarian crisis,” the broadcaster adds, as well as giving an insight into “how long government forces will be able to hold out” against the militants’ attacks.
Petraeus told The Times that the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan would send “millions of refugees flooding into Pakistan and other neighbouring countries”, adding: “If the Taliban do take control we will see dramatic reductions in freedoms for Afghan citizens, particularly women. I don’t think this is what the world wants to see.”
He also expressed his surprise at Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw US troops amid ongoing negotiations. “If we had shown the determination and will to stay, we would have been in a much stronger negotiating position with the Taliban,” said Petraeus.
“I am a little bit unclear why we didn’t think we could maintain 3,500 troops to stop the Taliban from bringing back an ultraconservative Islamist theocracy which is not in anyone’s interest.”
Petraeus, who spent 37 years in the US Army and was commander of US and Nato forces in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011, was speaking as the Taliban turned its attention to “a number of key provincial capitals”, The Guardian reports. The group’s “ambition” is thought to be “the fall of Kandahar or Lashkar Gah”, which it is believed “would rapidly topple the five surrounding provinces”, the paper adds.
“The war will go on and will get much worse,” Petraeus added. “We forced the Afghan government to release thousands of Taliban prisoners, and got little or nothing for it.
“But if we had 3,500 troops there to maintain situational awareness and help our Afghan partners, we would have been in a position to prevent the Taliban from bringing civil war to the country.”
