Consequences will be 'unbelievably bad': George Bush on US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan
Jul 14, 2021
Washington DC [US], July 14 : Former US President George W Bush has called the US drawdown from Afghanistan a "mistake" and said that the consequences of this decision, especially for Afghan women and girls, will be "unbelievably bad".
"I am afraid, Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm," Bush said. "The consequences will be unbelievably bad and I am said."
Bush, who is the 43rd US President who launched the war in Afghanistan, made these remarks in an interview with German news outlet Deutsche Welle.
Answering a question on the Biden administration's decision to pull out military, Bush said, "I think about all the interpreters that people that helped not only the US but NATO troops."
"That is the decision that they (Biden administration) have made and I guess the country is fine with it," he added.
The former US President's comment comes amid a surge in violence in Afghanistan as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against civilians and Afghan security forces with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away.
Last week, President Joe Biden had said that the full drawdown of forces would be complete by the end of August and defended pulling troops from Afghanistan. He even made it clear that rebuilding the war-torn country was not the responsibility of the US.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has expressed concern with the number of reported "serious human rights abuses" and violations alleged in communities most affected by the ongoing military offensive across the country.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on Wednesday said the reports of killing, ill-treatment, persecution and discrimination are widespread and disturbing, creating fear and insecurity. "Those who carry out any such acts must be held accountable."
The UN has reiterated that parties are obliged to respect the human rights and dignity of all Afghans, especially those of women and girls who have in the past been subjected to particularly acute forms of discrimination.
