NATO chief Stoltenberg urges coordinated efforts over Afghanistan troops withdrawal

Amid ongoing discussion on troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said final pull-out of troops will be a decision for NATO members to take toger 'in a coordinated way'. Earlier, US President Donald Trump h anunced that he wants to unilaterally withdraw about 2,500 US troop levels from Afghanistan by mid-January 2021.

According to BBC reports, NATO chief said that United States was continuing to provide support and allies h to make a decision in 2021 wher to pull out troops. He ded that decision will completely depend on progress of peace talks between Taliban and Afghan government. NATO went into Afghanistan toger and it will require to leave toger when time is right, Stoltenberg said.

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'Military alliance is grappling with a dilemma'

On Monday, Stoltenberg said that military alliance is grappling with a dilemma over its future in Afghanistan as US starts pulling troops out while attacks by Taliban and extremist groups are in fact on rise.

More than 17 years after taking le on international security efforts in Afghanistan, NATO w has around 11,000 troops from dozens of nations re helping to train and vise national security forces, Stoltenberg said. Most of personnel are from Europe and or NATO partner countries, he ded. Moreover, alliance depends heavily on US armed forces for air support, transport and logistics. European allies would struggle even to leave country without US help, and Trump’s decision to pull almost half American troops out by mid-January has put NATO in a tough spot.

"We face a difficult dilemma. Wher to leave and risk that Afghanistan becomes once again a safe haven for international terrorists. Or stay, and risk a longer mission, with renewed violence," Stoltenberg was quoted as saying by news ncy Associated Press as he spoke to reporters on eve of a videoconference between NATO foreign ministers.

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(With ncy inputs; Im-AP)