Afghan withdrawal raises questions about United States, Gulf Arab official says

I think this is very problematic right now – really very problematic." The official said that if there was to be a geopolitical struggle over Afghanistan it would be between China and Pakistan on the one hand and Russia, Iran and India on the other.


Reuters | London | Updated: 13-09-2021 22:52 IST | Created: 13-09-2021 22:46 IST
Afghan withdrawal raises questions about United States, Gulf Arab official says
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The United States' chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan has raised questions for its Arab allies in the Middle East about whether or not they can continue to rely on Washington, a senior Gulf Arab official said on Monday. U.S. allies fear the Taliban's return and the vacuum left by the West's chaotic withdrawal will allow militants from al Qaeda to gain a foothold in Afghanistan 20 years after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

"Afghanistan is an earthquake, a shattering, shattering earthquake and this is going to stay with us for a very, very long time," the Gulf Arab official said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. "Can we really depend on an American security umbrella for the next 20 years? I think this is very problematic right now – really very problematic."

The official said that if there was to be a geopolitical struggle over Afghanistan it would be between China and Pakistan on the one hand and Russia, Iran and India on the other. The United States, the official said, would not be part of that struggle.

"If there is a geopolitical struggle over Afghanistan, we will see Pakistan and China on one hand and we will see India, Iran and Russia on the other hand," the official said. "And I don’t think the Americans are going to be a part of the geopolitical struggle over Afghanistan."

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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