Pentagon bestätigt beschleunigten Abzug aus Afghanistan

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Das Pentagon hat die Pläne bestätigt, bis Mitte Januar die US-Truppen in Afghanistan und im Irak deutlich zu reduzieren. In beiden Ländern werde er die Anweisung des noch amtierenden Präsidenten Donald Trump umsetzen, die Zahl der Soldaten bis zum 15. Januar kommenden Jahres auf jeweils 2.500 zu verringern, sagte der amtierende Verteidigungsminister Christopher C. Miller in Washington.

Der Plan Trumps, den ohnehin geplanten Truppenabzug noch innerhalb der ihm verbleibenden Amtszeit bis zum 20. Januar deutlich zu beschleunigen, war bereits am (gestrigen) Montag bekannt geworden. Miller nannte am (heutigen) Dienstag in einem Statement vor Journalisten dazu mehr Einzelheiten:

Good afternoon. I’m Chris Miller, Acting Secretary of Defense, and I am here today to update you on President Trump’s plan to bring the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to a successful and responsible conclusion, and to bring our brave Service members home. (…)
In light of these tremendous sacrifices, and with great humility and gratitude to those who came before us, I am formally announcing that we will implement President Trump’s orders to continue our repositioning of forces from those two countries.
By January 15, 2021, our force size in Afghanistan will be 2,500 troops. Our force size in Iraq will also be 2,500 by that same date. This is consistent with our established plans and strategic objectives; supported by the American people; and does not equate to a change in U.S. policy or objectives.
Moreover, this decision by the President is based on continuous engagement with his national security Cabinet over the past several months, including ongoing discussions with me and my colleagues across the United States government.
I have also spoken with our military commanders and we will execute this repositioning in a way that protects our fighting men and women, our partners in the Intelligence Community and diplomatic corps, and our superb allies that are critical to rebuilding Afghan and Iraqi security capabilities and civil society for a lasting peace in troubled lands.
And just this morning, I spoke with key leaders in Congress as well as our allies and partners abroad to update them on these plans, in light of our shared approach: we went in together, we adjust together, and when the time is right, we will leave together. One of my calls was to NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg. Another was to Afghanistan’s President Ghani, who expressed his gratitude for every American Service member who has fought for peace and strengthened the longstanding friendship between our countries. (…)
In closing, we set out to accomplish three goals in 2001:
Go abroad and destroy terrorists, their organizations, and their sanctuaries;
Strengthen our defenses against future attacks; and,
Prevent the continued growth of Islamist terrorism, to include by working with allies and local partners to take the lead in the fight.
Today is another critical step in that direction, and a result of President Trump’s bold leadership. With the blessings of Providence in the coming year, we will finish this generational war, and bring our men and women home. We will protect our children from the heavy burden and toll of perpetual war. And we will honor the sacrifices made in service to peace and stability in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world, and celebrate all those who helped us secure freedom over oppression.

Nach Angaben von US-Medien ließ Miller nach seiner Erklärung keine Nachfragen zu. Damit bleibt unter anderem offen, wie sich die Ankündigung mit den eigentlich geltenden Plänen verträgt, den Abzug aus Afghanistan mit den Bedingungen des mit den Taliban ausgehandelten Friedensabkommens zu vereinbaren – das im wesentlichen eine Reduzierung der Gewalt im Lande zur Voraussetzung macht.

Der amtierende US-Verteidigungsminister griff allerdings eine Devise des gemeinsamen Afghanistan-Einsatzes der internationalen Truppen auf: We went in together, we adjust together, and when the time is right, we will leave together  – auf Deutsch: Gemeinsam rein, gemeinsam raus. Ob er die Verbündeten darunter auch Deutschland, bei den von ihm genannten Gesprächen davon überzeugen konnte, ist im Moment nicht klar.

Nach Millers Worten hatte er auch mit NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg darüber gesprochen. Der äußerte sich am Montag ebenfalls zu dem Thema, unklar blieb allerdings, ob vor oder nach dem Telefonat mit Miller:

We now face a difficult decision. We have been in Afghanistan for almost 20 years, and no NATO ally wants to stay any longer than necessary. But at the same time, the price for leaving too soon or in an uncoordinated way could be very high. Afghanistan risks becoming once again a platform for international terrorists to plan and organise attacks on our homelands. And ISIS could rebuild in Afghanistan the terror caliphate it lost in Syria and Iraq. (…)
Even with further US reductions, NATO will continue its mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan security forces. We are also committed to funding them through 2024.
We went into Afghanistan together. And when the time is right, we should leave together in a coordinated and orderly way. I count on all NATO allies to live up to this commitment, for our own security.

Mit den bisherigen Plänen, die einen dann allerdings vollständigen Abzug etliche Monate später vorsahen, ist die US-Ankündigung nicht unbedingt kompatibel, auch wenn Miller das so nicht sieht. Weiterhin wird aus deutscher Sicht spannend, was das für die derzeit rund 1.200 deutschen Soldaten am Hindukusch und ihre Abzugsplanung bedeutet.

(Archivbild:  Johnny Blackett, a Department of the Army Civilian with the Army Field Support Battalion – Afghanistan, 10th Mountain Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade, reviews paperwork with a civilian contractor during the loading of retrograde cargo on Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan July 12, 2020 – Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Corey Vandiver, 1st Theater Sustainment Command)