US exit from Afghanistan 'absolutely inspired jihadists': Former CIA official
Sep 12, 2021
Washington DC [US], September 12 : Post the messy withdrawal of American US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, former acting CIA Director Michael Morell said "jihadists" were "absolutely inspired" by the US's exit and Taliban's win in the troubled country.
"I think that the Taliban winning the war in Afghanistan, and then the way our exit happened, has absolutely inspired jihadists all over the world," Morell said in an interview with CBS.
"The Taliban is saying, we just didn't defeat the United States, we defeated NATO. We defeated the world's greatest military power, ever. So there's a celebration going on," he added.
Last Sunday, a top US General had said the "collapse" of the Afghan army, in the face of Taliban offensive, happened at a much faster rate. The United States' role in Afghanistan has come under scanner after the Taliban's swift takeover of Kabul, following an offensive that saw the quick fall of the US-trained Afghan army.
"The collapse of the Afghan army happened at a much faster rate and (was) very unexpected by pretty much everybody," General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
Milley further warned that conditions for a future "civil war" could develop in Afghanistan following the US troops' withdrawal.
Slamming the Biden administration's handling of US drawdown from Afghanistan, a top Russian security official said the system that Washington established could not survive without their support and US military construction efforts turned to dust after their exit.
In an op-ed for the Gazeta.Ru, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said the US failed in trying to provide military support to the previously established Afghan regime.
"The Pentagon created the Afghan National Security Forces from scratch, trained and armed them. However, the developments of recent months made it clear that they were unable to exist without US support," Medvedev was quoted as saying by TASS news agency.
