On August 30, under the current Presidency of India, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution demanding that the war-torn country not be used to threaten or attack any nation or shelter terrorists. It was put forward by the UK, the USA and France. In its favour, 13 Council members voted and that’s how it was adopted. What’s surprising is that permanent members Russia and China abstained from the voting, indicating they are more than willing to accept the Taliban regime as a legitimate stakeholder in Afghanistan.
For the month of August, India holds the Presidency of the UN Security Council. The resolution demanded the Taliban to honour their commitment to let people freely leave Afghanistan, but the measure did not talk about a "safe zone" mentioned by French President Emmanuel Macron. According to the resolution, the council expects the Taliban to allow a "safe, secure, and orderly departure from Afghanistan of Afghans and all foreign nationals."
It refers to an August 27 statement by the Taliban in which the hardline Islamists said Afghans would be able to travel abroad, and leave Afghanistan any time they want to, including by any border crossing, both air and ground.
Nevertheless, amid all the chaos, France completed its evacuation efforts on Friday and Britain finished its evacuation on Saturday.
Apart from other countries, the US military also finished its withdrawal from Afghanistan to end a tense 20-year war. The sad part is that the war started and ended with the hardline Islamist Taliban in power, in spite of billions of dollars spent in order to rebuild the conflict-wracked country.
Prior to the beginning of the Tuesday in Kabul, the last flight left at 1929 GMT Monday.
The withdrawal came before the end of August 31, the actual deadline set by President Joe Biden to call time on America's longest war.
According to the US officials, the war claimed over 2,400 US service members in 20 years. Biden said he would address the nation on Tuesday in Washington.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, based in Fort Bragg, N.C., was the final soldier to leave Afghanistan as U.S. troops boarded a C-17 aircraft at the Kabul airport.
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