Though the United States has yet to implement the decision of pulling its troops out of Afghanistan, its forces have vacated certain mountainous regions of Kunar and Nooristan provinces. Pakistan Today has learnt through reliable sources that the US forces have completely vacated the mountainous region of Nooristan which is bordering with Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The US forces also scattered in Nooristan have now shifted to Laghman and Kunar provinces. The existence of the Afghan government is very nominal in Nooristan. Even its governor occupies its office in Jalalabad headquarters of Nangarhar province, bordering with Pakistan. Besides Nooristan, the US has also withdrawn its forces from all the three districts of Paich Valley of Kunar, another border province of Afghanistan.
The forces, withdrawn from these three border provinces are now camping in Watapur near Asadabad headquarters of Kunar. Similarly, the US forces have also left Tangi area in Maidan Wardag province where Hizbe Islami Afghanistan, headed by Engineer Gulbadin Hekmatyar, is in a strong position. The US has faced a severe resistance in this part of Central Afghanistan.
The US is engaged in the regrouping of its troops before their departure from Afghanistan. In Kundoz where the German troops have been camping since long have now been joined by the US troops. Kundoz connects Afghanistan with Central Asian Republics. Similarly, the presence of the US troops is on the rise in Baghlan, Parwan, Balkh and certain other northern provinces bordering with Central Asian Republics.
Before pulling its troops out of Afghanistan, the US has decided to establish seven permanent bases in Afghanistan. One of these bases in Bagram has been functional since the collapse of the Taliban regime in November 2001. The US will now set up its bases in the remaining six stations. However, the establishment of such permanent bases is conditional to approval from the Afghanistan parliament.
For this purpose, the US authorities are strengthening relations and understanding with Abdur Rauf Ibrahimi, the speaker of the Wollassi Jirga (Afghan National Assembly). It is believed that majority of the Afghan parliamentarians are reluctant to fulfil such wishes of the US authorities.
