WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden will meet with Afghan leaders at the White House on Friday amid an ongoing U.S. military withdrawal as Afghanistan’s future remains in limbo.
The president’s meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, head of the country’s High Council for National Reconciliation, comes as U.S.-backed peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban have stalled.
Meanwhile, the militant Islamic group has gained new territory at an alarming clip in recent weeks. Renewed fighting has stoked fears that the Taliban will topple the Afghan government once American and NATO forces have left.
The situation in Afghanistan is dire as Taliban forces rout Afghan security forces often without a fight, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. Some Afghan army units have surrendered or abandoned their posts. Some are fighting, the official said, but Taliban forces are making steady gains.
The withdrawal of U.S. forces remains apace, with American forces set to leave the sprawling air base of Bagram north of Kabul expected within days, the official said. The withdrawal of all U.S. troops except those needed to protect the embassy is expected within weeks, well before the Sept. 11 deadline set by President Biden. Taliban fighters have not attacked American forces during the withdrawal, but it’s not clear if that ceasefire will continue, the official said.
Pentagon officials have said they plan to…
