The handover took place in the heavily fortified Resolute Support headquarters in the heart of Kabul, at a time of rapid territorial gains by Taliban insurgents across Afghanistan. AdvertisementIn a flag-passing ceremony, Miller remembered the U.S. and NATO troops killed in two decades of war as well as the thousands of Afghans who lost their lives. The outgoing commander said he had told Taliban officials that “it’s important that the military sides set the conditions for a peaceful and political settlement in Afghanistan. While Washington is not saying how many troops remain in Afghanistan, a CENTCOM statement more than a week ago said the withdrawal was 90% complete. The U.S. also is committed to spending $4.4 billion annually to fund Afghanistan’s security forces until 2024.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 12, 2021 12:09 UTC