EAST COUNTY– As the Taliban continues to take over Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, which is forcing the evacuations of U.S. diplomats, San Diegans are reacting to the situation.
An East County Afghan man, who did not want to be identified due to safety concerns, says he agrees with President Joe Biden’s decision in withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan on May 1, after nearly two decades of being overseas.
“I’m in favor of the United States leaving Afghanistan after 20 years,” he said. “I do believe that if we had been there for another 20 years, we would still be in the same kind of situation.”
The East County man said the quick changes that have taken place have surprised everyone, including himself. He says the U.S. served its purpose overseas.
“That is to get rid of Al-Qaeda, nation building is another story beyond our control, and we have many other problems at home that we should focus on,” he said.
The Afghan native says the Afghan people have become numb to organizations taking over the government.
“For the majority of the Afghan people who live there, they are absolutely tired and what they want most is security,” he said. “They are more less concerned about political and other aspects. That is the number one concern: stability and safety.”
The East County man says during the last 20 years, the United States has struggled in Afghanistan. He added the Afghan people haven’t truly understood the sacrifice the U.S. military and American tax payer dollars have contributed over the last two decades.
“I think the U.S. should remained engaged with the Taliban whatever agreement they have made with them to keep them engaged – to remind them and make sure they fulfill those promises rather than eliminating them and pushing them too, and aligning themselves with Al-Qaeda and other hard core terrorist organizations,” he said.