(FreedomBeacon.com)- The U.S. military is just about completely out of Afghanistan now. On Tuesday, military officials said the withdrawal is now “more than 90%” completed.
The U.S. Central Command provided the update earlier this week, the first time it had done so since they said the withdrawal was 50% completed last month. The announcement was also made after the U.S. military handed over controls to the largest airbase it has been operating in Afghanistan for almost the last 20 years.
When American troops departed from the Bagram Airfield last week, it served as sort of a symbolic end to the U.S.’ presence in the region. Over the time of the war, the U.S. transformed what was a former Soviet military base into a thriving hub for American activity.
Despite troops being nearly out of Afghanistan, the Pentagon said all the troops won’t be out until later in August.
The Department of Defense also wouldn’t confirm how many troops are still remaining in Afghanistan, or what their locations are. Various media reports suggest there are less than 1,000 troops that still remain, and they are helping to secure the airport in Kabul.
There may also be a few hundred other troops who stay behind to help secure the U.S. Embassy even when the full troops withdrawal is finished.
In a statement, the Department of Defense said the U.S. military has handed over seven different facilities to Afghanistan thus far. There are more than 17,000 pieces of other equipment that was given to the Defense Logistics Agency for “disposition.” Much of this equipment is what’s called “federal excess personal property,” not “defensive articles or considered to be major equipment.”
In the wake of American troops withdrawing from the region, the major fear of the Taliban taking over control of Afghanistan again is already playing out. In recent weeks, the Taliban has reclaimed various districts located in the northern part of the country, forcing hundreds of Afghan troops to flee to nearby Tajikistan.
Some of those soldiers who tried to escape were captured by the Taliban, too.
As a senior official with the Afghan government explained on Monday:
“The Taliban cut off all the roads and these people had nowhere to go but to cross the border.”
This could just be the beginning of a much bigger downfall in Afghanistan. A report released a few weeks ago said it may only take six months for the Afghan government to fully collapse following the full American withdrawal from the country.
While the initial outlook for the government was positive, it has since taken quite the dive. A major reason for that is the swift victories the Taliban has had in reclaiming many major districts throughout the country — even before U.S. troops are fully out.
In June, the Taliban touted its “manifest victory and triumph,” saying in a statement that their territorial gains “will be the beginning of the end of the ills birthed by occupation.”
