US Gen Mark Milley raised fears about a likely Afghan civil war and claimed that volatile conditions in Afghanistan can allow terrorism to erupt once again the country, while giving an interview to Fox News on Saturday.
He highlighted that the Afghan soil after US complete withdrawal might witness the resurgence of Al-Qaeda causing history to repeat itself.
The U.S. withdrew its troops on Aug. 31, marking an end to a 20-year conflict that was sparked by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on American soil.
Nineteen members of the terrorist group al Qaeda boarded and highjacked planes that were used in attacks on New York City, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. About 3,000 people were killed that day.
Repercussions of Afghan civil war
The Chairman Joint Staff Committee Gen Milley also stated that civil war in Afghanistan would destabilize the entire region as resurgence of groups like al Qaeda and ISIS might flex their muscles in the neighboring countries causing spill-over of militancy and terrorism.
Read more: UN predicts largest number of Afghan civilian deaths amid civil war
Should the US predict future Afghan civil war or is it now safer?
During an interview with Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin in Ramstein, Germany, that aired on Saturday, the reporter asked Milley if the U.S. was safer today since the country had withdrawn its troops from Afghanistan.
“Well you know this is something that I’ve thought a lot about. And I personally think that my military estimate is that the conditions are likely to develop of a civil war. I don’t know if the Taliban is gonna be able to consolidate power and establish governance – they may be, maybe not,” Milley told Griffin.
“But I think there’s at least a very good probability of a broader civil war, and that will then in turn lead to conditions that could in fact, lead to reconstitution of al Qaeda or a growth of ISIS or other myriad of terrorist groups,” Milley added, who noted that officials do not yet know for sure the fate of Afghanistan.
Will US intervene in the wake of future Afghan civil war?
When asked whether the US would intervene if conditions in Afghanistan pave the way for a likely Afghan civil war, Milley noted that it would be a “very difficult policy choice” for the country. He added that since the US troops just withdrew after their 20-year engagement in the country, it is best that US monitor the situation on ground.
“I wouldn’t say yes or no to anything actually. I think those are, it’s too early to say anything like that at this point,” Milley said, adding that they needed to continue to monitor the intelligence situation.
The general’s comments came after a chaotic August, in which the international community watched the rapid deterioration of the Afghan government at the hands of the Taliban. The insurgent group consolidated power in a matter of days, and on Aug. 15 took the capital city of Kabul.
Read more: US withdrawal not “orderly”, FM Qureshi warns Afghan anarchy
US chaotic withdrawal culminates fears of Afghan civil war
The withdrawal became chaotic after the Taliban’s takeover, and the end of U.S. involvement was punctuated by violence, a bombing, deaths and acts of desperation on the part of Afghan citizens who wished to flee the country.
The sight of violence in Afghanistan has led US officials and lawmakers stateside to raise mounting concerns Afghanistan could be a hotbed for terrorist following the U.S.’s withdrawal given that there is no longer American or allied military presence on the ground.
Taliban’s promises might eliminate Afghan civil war fears
The Taliban maintained that it has evolved since its former rule in the late 1990s, stating that the group will not go after enemies and will respect the rights of women under Islamic framework, but many in the international community and in Afghanistan itself remain skeptical.
Biden defends US withdrawal amid fears of Afghan civil war
President Biden has defended his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, arguing that he did not want to lengthen an already long-running war in the country.
“To those asking for a third decade of war in Afghanistan, I ask: What is the vital national interest? In my view, we only have one: to make sure Afghanistan can never be used again to launch an attack on our homeland,” Biden said on Tuesday after the last troops left Afghanistan.
Milley made similar predictions to those aired Saturday to the Senate in August, warning lawmakers of a possible rise of terrorist groups in Afghanistan amid the Taliban’s takeover of the country.
Read more: Biden’s Afghan exit plunges his approval ratings; Reuters/Ipsos poll