The future of NATO’s 10,000 troops in Afghanistan is high on the agenda at this week’s distant meeting of alliance defense ministers.
The clock is ticking on their planned departure by May 1 as part of the deal between the United States and the Taliban that was approved by the Trump administration last year – and is now under review by President Biden.
And repeated the Taliban in recent days, its demand to leave the forces, but many are wondering if the time is right. Peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have stalled, and violence has escalated in recent months.
A recent report to the US Congress warned of an Afghan civil war if troops leave by May 1. But there is a clear risk that if they stay, Taliban violence will increase.
BBC International correspondent Les Doucet got a rare opportunity to attend Afghan police training on dealing with militant attacks.
Filmed and produced by Dave Ball.
Additional production by Tony Brown and Mahfouz Zubeidi.
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