RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

End of mission in Afghanistan

In agreement with its partners in the Alliance, Romania decided to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan

End of mission in Afghanistan
End of mission in Afghanistan

, 09.07.2021, 14:00

US troops intervened in Afghanistan almost 20 years ago, shortly after the terrorist attacks on the New York twin towers and the Pentagon. Accused of providing refuge for Osama bin Laden and the jihadist network Al Qaeda, responsible for the attacks, the Taliban were removed from power by Americans. Almost two decades followed in which NATO forces acted in the region through various missions, marked by numerous attacks resulting in loss of human lives.

But then, in April this year, the US president Joe Biden said that with the terror threat now in many places, keeping thousands of troops grounded and concentrated in just one country at a cost of billions each year makes little sense to me and to our leaders. (…) It is time to end America’s longest war. It is time for American troops to come home.

The United States will work with its NATO allies for a coordinated withdrawal from the Asian country, according to the principle established from the beginning: we enter together, we adapt together, and we leave together. Subsequently, the North Atlantic Alliance announced that the necessary conditions for the completion of its Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan had been met and it was no longer necessary to maintain the 9,600 soldiers from 36 countries.

Romania is part of the coalition against terrorism, the first Romanian military being deployed in Afghanistan shortly after the attacks, and since then it has been constantly among the main contributors to the NATO mission. In agreement with its partners in the Alliance, Romania decided to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan in coordination with the other members starting with May 1, 2021, a decision which was made by the country’s Supreme Defense Council.

The mission in Afghanistan will end for the Ministry of Defence only when all Romanian soldiers have returned home safe, Defence Minister Nicolae Ciuca said:

As one of the most important contributors to the Resolute Support Mission, with over 600 soldiers deployed in the theatre of operations, Romania will act in accordance with the allied decisions regarding the withdrawal schedule. Romania took the decision, two decades ago, to be part of the counter-terrorism coalition and to join its strategic allies, in an international bid to fight an enemy that threatens the peace and security of its citizens. For almost 20 years, tens of thousands of Romanian soldiers have fulfilled missions in the Afghan theatre of operations, contributing significantly to the change for the better of the security situation in the area.

We are talking here about two missions. The first was the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), followed in 2015 by Resolute Support, which aimed to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Security Forces. Invited to Radio Romania, Nicolae Ciucă, commander of the first Romanian battalion in Afghanistan, drew a picture of the situation from Romania’s perspective:

For the Romanian Army, the year 2002 meant hope and efforts towards being invited to join the alliance in the autumn of that year, which happened. Two years on, the Romanian Army kept fulfilling its missions in Afghanistan, but also in Iraq and became a full member of the North Atlantic Alliance based on the decision made at the NATO summit. Therefore, all these elements of analysis can be described first of all by the will, enthusiasm and the spirit to prove that we were able and had the availability, the human resources and, why not, the spirit of sacrifice necessary to become members of the North Atlantic Alliance. After that, we have proven we are a credible member of this alliance. And because I mentioned sacrifice, I want to recall and express our gratitude for the 27 Romanian soldiers who lost their lives in Afghanistan and the over 200 people who got wounded there. This is the effort that the Romanian army have made in these 20 years.

What does Afghanistan look like now and to what extent have the problems been resolved? Afghanistan is still not a perfect country, but it does not compare to the Afghanistan of beheadings and torture two decades ago. Afghanistan now has dozens of diplomatic missions around the world, a Constitution, a legally elected president and government, an elected parliament and local councils in which women are represented as well. Parties, NGOs and civil society organisations have been re-established. Most Afghans have access to basic health care, and millions of children are vaccinated against epidemic diseases. However, huge challenges remain related to government, drugs, poverty and corruption. The future is still uncertain.

Here is Liviu Mureşan, president of the EURISC Foundation:

After two decades, this operation that has cost so many human lives, huge amounts of money and has left the problem unresolved, is coming to an end. We do not know how things will develop in the coming period. It is very important that we, who have been involved in this operation in Afghanistan from the very beginning, have all our soldiers back home, along with all the related equipment, if possible. Afghanistan will remain a lesson in how infrastructure determines the fate, life and proper functioning of a mission. A country that has no access to the sea is a country that cannot be conquered, controlled and truly transformed, especially with the geography that Afghanistan has.

The Speaker of the Afghan Parliament, Mir Rahman Rahmani, has warned that the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country in the current context will lead to civil war. (MI)

Energie (foto: EdWhiteImages / pixabay.com)
The Future Starts Today Friday, 08 November 2024

Energy Objectives

The European Union’s net greenhouse gas emissions are now 37% below 1990 levels, while the GDP grew by 68% over the same period, demonstrating...

Energy Objectives
Klaus Iohannis and Maia Sandu (photo: presidency.ro)
The Future Starts Today Friday, 01 November 2024

The Republic of Moldova Closer to the EU

The citizens of the Republic of Moldova voted, on October 20, in favor of amending the country’s Constitution to support its accession to the...

The Republic of Moldova Closer to the EU
Sursa foto: pixabay.com
The Future Starts Today Friday, 18 October 2024

October, the European month of cybersecurity

The European Cyber Security Month is an annual campaign that promotes awareness and best practices in online cyber security, providing information on...

October, the European month of cybersecurity
Ana Aslan
The Future Starts Today Friday, 11 October 2024

The Pace of Aging

“Youth is about optimism, well-being, and a goal to fight for” – this is the creed that underpinned the work of Ana Aslan, one of...

The Pace of Aging
The Future Starts Today Friday, 04 October 2024

Major plan for the re-industrialization of Romania

For the first time in the last 35 years, a major plan for the re-industrialization of the country was announced in Romania. With a value of 3 billion...

Major plan for the re-industrialization of Romania
The Future Starts Today Friday, 20 September 2024

Energy for the future

    Over the past few years, the European Union has managed to withstand critical risks to its security of energy supply, regain control...

Energy for the future
The Future Starts Today Friday, 13 September 2024

Cyberspace vulnerabilities

More than 8.5 million computers running Windows software were affected by the world’s largest Internet outage in July this year. The figure...

Cyberspace vulnerabilities
The Future Starts Today Friday, 09 August 2024

Good Immunity as a Prevention Measure

Defined as the body’s ability to defend itself against viruses, bacteria and parasites, immunity plays a crucial role in maintaining health....

Good Immunity as a Prevention Measure

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company