The British Chief of Defense, the General Nick Carter is not at all happy with the American decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan by 11 September, after twenty years of military campaign. General Carter, in his first interview since the announcement of Biden's withdrawal, told the BBC on Tuesday: "It is not a decision we were hoping for but obviously we respect it and it is clearly a recognition of the strategic posture of the United States in constant evolution ”. The United Kingdom will then withdraw its 750 troops still present and give its military training academy to the Afghan forces "Sandhurst in the Sand“, On the outskirts of Kabul.
It is unusual for a high-ranking military man on duty to speak out on political decisions. Surely the concern revealed by General Carter is the expression of the political part that belongs to the Defense Department where a more extended withdrawal was desired over time and only following the establishment of precise conditions for the Afghan counterpart. The British line had, in fact, already been presented to NATO allies at the beginning of 2021, directly by the Secretary of Defense, Ben Wallace: "We must keep the course in Afghanistan and not abandon the successes we have earned ".
Net of disappointment, General Carter analyzed the successes of twenty years of military campaign. He believes the Taliban has changed in the two decades since British troops were first deployed to Afghanistan. Today, the general points out, there is a positive prospect because the Afghan security forces, trained by the allied coalition, are very prepared and able to resist the resurgence of a possible civil war.
Carter also wanted to clarify that since the British and allied troops entered Afghanistan in 2001, no major international terrorist acts have been carried out. Afghanistan has "evolved enormously" in these 20 years and now has a civil society based on the respect for women, decent education system e active and pervasive means of communication.
Carter stressed that: "Actually I think i Taliban are no longer the organization they used to be. It is an organization that has evolved significantly in the 20 years we have been there. I think they also recognize that today they need some sort of political legitimacy ". Asked by the interviewer about the possibility of a return to the civil war, Carter said: "I think it is one of the possible scenarios, but the Afghan forces are much better trained than one might imagine, specifying that "hundreds of recruits were trained at our Academy at Sandhurst in Berkshire ”.
Finally, the British Chief of Staff of Defense said that with these premises Afghan civil society can also try to resist, the common denominator is the search for stability and peace and in this context the Taliban could also find space.