George W. Bush: Afghanistan troop withdrawal 'a mistake'
Foreign Policy,Afghanistan,George W. Bush,World,US Military
The former US President George W. Bush has labeled the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan "a mistake," in an interview with DW.
"I'm afraid Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm," he said, adding that he was also concerned for translators and other people who gave support to foreign troops in Afghanistan. "They're just going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people, and it breaks my heart."
Bush's comments refer to the hardline Islamic Taliban that are making sweeping gains across the country amid the drawdown of US and NATO forces, set to be complete by September — 20 years after the war began.
The former US president sent troops to Afghanistan in autumn 2001, following the September 11 terror attacks in the United States.