When will the United States war in Afghanistan be truly over?
As the last American combat forces prepare to leave Afghanistan, the question of when the war will be truly over arises. The answer is simple but bleak for Afghans: not anytime soon. An reinvigorated Taliban insurgency is gaining ground on the battlefield, while potential peace talks have stalled. Some fear that if foreign troops leave, Afghanistan may descend even farther into civil war. An Afghan affiliate of the so-called Islamic State jihadist network exists, though it is degraded. The endgame for the US and its coalition partners is unclear. Despite the fact that all combat soldiers and 20 years of stockpiled war materiel will soon be gone, General Frank McKenzie, the leader of US Central Command, will have power to defend Afghan forces against the Taliban until September. According to defense insiders, he can do so by ordering strikes from US jets based outside of Afghanistan. The US military has left Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan after nearly two decades, according to US authorities. The complex served as the epicenter of the fight to overthrow the Taliban and apprehend the al-Qaida terrorists who carried out the 9/11 attacks on America. According to two authorities, the entire airfield was handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force. Since 2014, US forces have not been involved in ground combat in Afghanistan. Since then, counter-terrorism forces have been chasing and attacking radicals, including using Afghan-based aircraft. Those strike aircraft have already left the country, and any future strikes, as well as any logistical support for Afghan forces, will be carried out from elsewhere. US troops will no longer be stationed in Afghanistan to train or advise Afghan forces. A 650-strong US security group based at the US embassy compound will protect American diplomats and maybe assist in the security of Kabuls international airport. Turkey is likely to continue its present duty of providing airport security, but Gen McKenzie will have the power to keep up to 300 additional troops on the ground until September to help with that mission. div class=sc-qQxXP>div class=sc-qQxXP>div class=sc-qQ (This is a brief piece.)