US Aircraft Carrier Strike Group Provides Support For Troop Withdrawal From Afghanistan As Tensions With Taliban Rise
This is the moment the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group is replenished in the Arabian sea as it continues its mission to support the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan where Taliban attacks are on the rise.
The footage showing the mighty nuclear-powered aircraft carrier being re-stocked by helicopters was released as NATO announced that 25 per cent of US troops have now been withdrawn from Afghanistan.
President Biden announced on 14th April the withdrawal of US troops from what he described as the country’s “forever war” will be completed by 11th September this year.
The United States is estimated to have spent USD 2 trillion (GBP 1.4 Trillion) on the war which has now been ongoing for over two decades, and resulted in an estimated 47,000 civilian deaths and the death of 3,500 NATO soldiers.
In recent weeks the withdrawal process has been marked by increasing violence in the country, especially in the capital of Kabul.
U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) found in its most recent report that the situation was deteriorating, stating that “casualties from January 1 to March 31, 2021, were substantially higher compared to the same period last year.”
Furthermore, the report detailed that there has been an 82 per cent increase in attacks against the Afghan National Defence and Security Force (ANDSF).
Just yesterday (25th May) the Australian government showed its concern for the security situation announcing it would temporarily be closing its Embassy building in Kabul due to an “increasingly uncertain security environment” in the city.
Despite the escalating violence, the Pentagon released a statement stating that they believe the scale of attacks will be limited as it’s in the Taliban’s best interest to allow the withdrawal to go ahead.
The aircraft carrier which has been nicknamed ‘Mighty Ike’ seen in the footage can carry up to 90 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters is providing US and NATO forces with aerial support as they withdraw from Afghanistan.
