Zakharova: U.S. and NATO Haven’t Met Their Goals in Afghanistan

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Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova has proposed that the U.S. and NATO assess if their objectives in Afghanistan have been accomplished.

She wrote on her Telegram channel that there has been so much spoken in Washington about how the goals established in Afghanistan have been accomplished that she feels the need to clarify the situation. The spokesperson  recalled that the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was created on December 20, 2001, by a UN Security Council decision.

The aim of the International Security Assistance Force, according to UN Security Council Resolution 1386, was to help the Afghan Interim Authority in preserving security in Kabul and adjacent regions, so that the Afghan Interim Authority and United Nations employees may operate in secure conditions, Zakharova emphasized.

The UN Security Council opted to expand the operation beyond Kabul in October 2003, according to the diplomat.

The expansion was phased gradually and finished in October 2006, when the International Force assumed responsibility for maintaining security throughout the country. The objective of expanding the force in Afghanistan was to decrease the activities of Taliban terrorists (who are outlawed in Russia), giving Afghans more time to take control of the country.

“You may now make your own conclusions regarding whether or not the objectives were met,” Zakharova continued.

On August 15, the Taliban invaded Kabul with no resistance and began gaining control of formal government institutions abandoned by government forces. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the nation as the situation deteriorated. The Taliban eventually claimed control of all districts in Afghanistan’s capital.