Biden says ‘tough’ to withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1

WASHINGTON/KABUL/KANDAHAR: US President Joe Biden warned that a deadline to withdraw all American soldiers from Afghanistan by May 1 as part of a deal with the Taliban was possible but "tough."

"Could happen, but it is tough," Biden said when asked in a TV interview broadcast Wednesday. "I´m in the process of making that decision now as to when they´ll leave," he said while taking a direct swipe as his predecessor Donald Trump.

"The fact is that that was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president, the former president worked out," he said. "The failure to have an orderly transition from the Trump presidency to my presidency, which usually takes place from election day to the time he´s sworn in, has cost me time and consequences. That´s one of the issues we´re talking about now, in terms of Afghanistan."

The United States is supposed to complete a withdrawal of all its troops by May 1 in an agreement that also saw the Taliban insurgents agree to peace talks with the administration of President Abdul Ghani. But those talks -- held in Qatar since September -- have made little progress. Washington wants to jump-start the peace process and get the Taliban and Afghan government to agree to some form of power-sharing.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have warned of dire "consequences" if the United States fails to meet a deadline to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, after President Joe Biden said doing so would be "tough".

The United States is supposed to complete a full withdrawal of troops within six weeks, according to an agreement signed in Qatar with the Taliban.

Biden on Wednesday cast doubt on meeting the deadline, saying he was in the process of deciding when troops would leave. "The Americans should end their occupation in accordance with the Doha deal and fully withdraw their forces from Afghanistan by May 1," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. "If they don´t do it, be it for any reason and pretexts, then they will be responsible for the consequences," he said, adding that "the people of Afghanistan will make their decision".

The deal, which excluded the Afghan government, saw the Taliban pledge in return to hold peace talks with the administration of President Ashraf Ghani.

Meanwhile, a total of 34 militants have been killed as cleanup operations continued in Taliban former stronghold Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province, Defence Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Backed by fighting planes, the operations have covered Arghandab, Panjway, Zhari and Spinboldak districts, the statement said, adding so far 34 armed insurgents have been killed and nine more sustained injuries. Without hinting at the possible casualties of security personnel, the statement also asserted that eight motorbikes of the militants and a weapon cache of the insurgents had been destroyed.

Taliban militants, who are in control of parts of Kandahar province with Kandahar city as its capital 450km south of Kabul, have yet to make comment on the report.