US Develops Long-Range Anti-Terror Plans As Forces Leave Afghanistan - Commander

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st April, 2021) The US plans to monitor the Taliban and foreign terrorist groups inside Afghanistan, with the ability to strike targets planning terrorist attacks on Americans following the September 11 deadline set by President Joe Biden to withdraw all US forces, Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told Congress on Tuesday.

"We will still be able to see into Afghanistan," McKenzie told the US House Armed Services Committee. "We will retain the ability... to find and fix those people, who plan attacks against us, that we can detect, and then, when appropriate, we will be able strike them."

A Primary concern is that terrorist groups such as al Qaeda and the Islamic State terror groups (banned in Russia) will use Afghanistan as a base to plan attacks on the United States or against American targets, McKenzie said.

Although both groups currently maintain a limited presence on Afghan soil, McKenzie warned of the threat they could re-establish themselves.

McKenzie also said the US is prepositioning combat capabilities to respond to any Taliban attacks on departing American forces.

In addition to the withdrawal of about 2,500 American forces still in Afghanistan, McKenzie said that every one of the thousands of private US military contractors would also exit the country - correcting an earlier Defense Department statement that some US contractors would stay behind.