USA troops leave Afghanistan to let another war spark near Russian borders

Tajikistan has asked members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) to help strengthen security on the border with Afghanistan, Tajikistan's Ambassador to the CSTO, Khasan Sultonov said. Earlier, the CSTO declared its readiness to support Tajikistan, if the country makes such a request.

"Against the background of developing circumstances, we are forced to act accordingly within the CSTO, to take measures to enhance the defence of our southern borders,” Sultonov said, according to the message posted on the CSTO website. "In this context, the need to ensure the implementation of the decision of the Collective Security Council from September 23, 2013 "On assistance to the Republic of Tajikistan in strengthening the Tajik-Afghan border” remains actual. Therefore, we would like to call on the member states of the organization to contribute to the full implementation of this document.”

Khasan Sultonov also said that Tajikistan would send additional troops to the border with Afghanistan.

Afghanistan surrenders to Taliban without a fight

In the meantime, the pro-American Afghan regime surrenders to the Taliban without resistance. It is expected that Russia will have to deal with a lot of problems soon as US and NATO troops are leaving the war-torn country.

Taliban makes triumphant return as pro-American regime shows no resistance.

More than 1,000 servicemen from Afghanistan retreated to the territory of Tajikistan on July 4-5 overnight to save their lives, Khovar agency reported, citing Tajikistan border service.

It was said that the Afghans, including elite special forces, crossed the border at various points along the entire length of the border. Taliban militants have taken full control of the following districts:

• Hohon,
• Shikai,
• Nusai,
• Mohimai,
• Shugnon
• Sulton Ishkashim of Badakhshan province.

The above territories share 910 kilometres of border with Tajikistan.

The escalating crisis started against the backdrop of the withdrawal of USA's and NATO's troops from Afghanistan. The operation is to be completed by September 11, 2021. The Taliban, according to Western media, already controls 40 percent of Afghanistan. The Talibz insist that they took control of many areas through mediation after Afghan soldiers refused to fight.

The US-led NATO contingent launched the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan in October 2001. The group allegedly harbored Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaeda figures associated with the 9/11 attacks in the United States. At the peak of the war in 2011, the United States had a 30,000-strong contingent in the country.

Under the current agreement with the terrorists, the United States and its NATO allies have agreed to withdraw all troops in exchange for the commitment of the Taliban not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in areas of their control. Only 650 American troops will remain to protect the US Embassy in Kabul. Thus, the West is leaving the Afghan government to the mercy of fate.

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkey under attack

To keep the front going, the Joe Biden administration appealed to three Central Asian countries (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) to temporarily accommodate 9,000 Afghans who previously worked with US troops and could become targets for the Taliban after the withdrawal of US and NATO troops. Talibs have already threatened to take revenge on everyone who decides to accept NATO troops. Therefore, it goes about people's lives in the first place. The money that the Americans are going to pay for the favour is not important here.

At the same time, Turkey announced that after the US pullout from Afghanistan, the Turkish military will remain in Kabul to protect the Kabul airport.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the Voice of America that it was Afghanistan's responsibility to guard airports and other facilities in the country.

"If foreign forces want to maintain their military presence here in the name of airport security, the Afghans will not allow this and will view them as invaders, be it Turkey or any other country," Mujahid said.

The 2021 Taliban more dangerous for Russia

The offensive of the Taliban has jeopardised the work of the Russian Consulate General in Mazar-i-Sharif, Putin's aide for Afghanistan, director of the Second Department of Asia of the Foreign Ministry, Zamir Kabulov said.

Tajikistan currently accommodates:

• a Russian army base,
• a Chinese outpost in Badakhshan
• an Indian Air Force base at Farkhor.

It is worthy of note that the 2021 Taliban is different from its 1996 version, as it is no longer a Sunni Pashtun force, but also has ethnic Afghan Tajiks and Uzbeks (40 percent).

It is no coincidence that the Taliban have seized exit points through the Amu Darya to neighboring Tajikistan. The Talibs also surround border areas, large cities and strategic roads leading to Uzbekistan and then they gain access to Russia through Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

The Taliban victory in Afghanistan entails serious consequences for the security of Russia, as Talibs seize US weapons and military equipment. In June, the Taliban seized 700 Hummer trucks from Afghan security forces, as well as dozens of armored personnel carriers and artillery systems, MANPADS, Forbes reported.

To crown it all, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and its victory in Afghanistan will also create problems in terms of growing Islamist propaganda. All this will affect Russia from within. Many guest workers come to Russia from Tajikistan, and this is a channel for terrorists and their ideology to penetrate into the Russian territory.

Military expert and editor of Arsenal of the Fatherland magazine, Alexei Leonkov, told Pravda. Ru that the situation in Afghanistan was rapidly changing and "a civil war will break out in Afghanistan again sooner or later" as the Taliban enter the Tajik-Afghan border.