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Taliban fighters in Afghanistan (archive recording)
Photo: OMAR SOBHANI / REUTERS
It is a turning point for Afghanistan: In the morning, the remaining US soldiers and their allies withdrew from the main military base in Bagram.
After 20 years, the complete withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan is imminent.
US media reports said the base had been handed over to the Afghan security forces.
The Afghan Ministry of Defense did not initially comment on this.
With the withdrawal, the Taliban could regain power in the Hindu Kush. Shortly after the withdrawal from Bagram, the militant Islamists spoke up: The militia "supported" the move, Taliban spokesman Sabihullah Mujahid told the AFP news agency. The complete withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan will "pave the way for the Afghans to be able to decide for themselves about their future," he added.
But that's probably a cynical statement. Because the peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government are not making progress. Lots of US-funded equipment has recently fallen into the hands of extremists. When the international troops began to withdraw, the Islamists launched several offensives. Since then, they have been able to conquer around 90 of the 400 or so districts from the demoralized Afghan security forces - and in the process captured hundreds of assault rifles, armored vehicles and, in some cases, heavy military equipment.
In the past, Taliban offensives were stopped primarily with the help of US air strikes and, in some cases, American special forces.
The withdrawal means that government troops will now have to do without such combat support.
The Afghan Air Force can only do a fraction of what American fighter planes have so far offered.
US government promises security aid
It is also unclear whether the machines can be kept airworthy without foreign contract workers who repair and maintain them, but who are now also removing them.
The air force is key in the fight against the Taliban.
The White House has given assurances to the government in Kabul that it will continue to provide "sustainable" security assistance.
So far, Washington has remained vague about what this means.
A high-ranking US general had recently ruled out in an interview with "Voice of America" that the US would support Afghan armed forces with air strikes after their withdrawal.
That does not mean, however, that the Taliban's military advance is not causing concern in Washington.
On the contrary: in view of the developments, the US secret services are said to have revised their forecasts for Afghanistan, according to the Washington Post.
Accordingly, the Afghan government could fall in six to twelve months.
as / AFP / dpa / Reuters / AP