Hasty US withdrawal to create security black hole in Afghanistan

US President Joe Biden's decision to bring home all US troops from Afghanistan by Sept 11, as an attempt to irresponsibly pull the United States out of the quagmire of war, will create a security black hole and aggravate the already heavy scourge suffered by the country.

The abrupt announcement by the United States of a complete troop exit has deteriorated the security situation in the conflict-battered country, causing mounting militant attacks and ensuing civilian casualties.

Since the start of the withdrawal of US-led forces on May 1, the Taliban militants have stepped up activities. Moreover last week, three consecutive explosions outside a secondary school for girls in western Kabul killed at least 50 people and injured over 100 others.

It was during the Cold War that the US helped sow the seeds of unrest in the country by funding and arming militants to fight the then Soviet Union. Over the following decades, Afghanistan has developed a malignant tumor of terrorism, and gradually descended into a hotbed of international terrorism and extremism.

After the US-led War on Terror in 2001, Afghanistan has experienced a rise in terrorist acts instead of decline.

It is a fact that US military actions have caused heavy civilian casualties since then, yet brutal fighting and bloody attacks continue.

At the moment, a sudden US withdrawal would only exacerbate the country's ongoing security crisis, as it would be a chance for terrorist groups and various political forces to fill the vaccum and stoke more unrests.

A hasty departure of US troops would also swiftly change the existing balance of power between the Afghan government forces and other armed factions, increasing the risk of violent confrontations.

Biden's decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan is "a major mistake" with significant risks, according to a recent article published by US think tank the Brookings Institution.

It pointed out that the most likely outcome of any quick troop exit this year is "very ugly, including ethnic cleansing, mass slaughter, and the ultimate dismemberment of the country."

In retrospect, the current tumult facing Afghanistan is yet another chill reminder of the consequence of overuse of US military power. No wonder the past two decades of US military presence in Afghanistan has been described by many global observers as a failure.