Former Afghan President Claimed in May His Government Could Fend Off Taliban ‘Forever’ Without US Support

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani makes brief remarks during a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on June 25, 2021. Pete Marovich-Pool/Getty Images

Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who fled the country allowing the Taliban to take the capital unopposed on Sunday, claimed in May that his government could resist the terrorist group’s attacks without U.S. support.

Ghani fled the country on Aug. 15 as the Islamist insurgents entered Kabul, saying he did so to avoid bloodshed. Just months earlier, he said he was confident that the government could fend off the Taliban “forever,” as President Joe Biden’s Sept. 11 deadline to withdraw U.S. troops loomed.