Ex-US ambassadors demand Biden reverse course on Afghanistan, continue air strikes and replace the State Department envoy to prevent 'catastrophic outcome' as situation continues to deteriorate

President Biden must commit the U.S. to providing air support for Afghan forces, step up defense assistance to Kabul and appoint a new peace envoy to prevent catastrophe in Afghanistan, according to five retired ambassadors who served in the country.

They say it is not too late to prevent Kabul falling to the Taliban, but warn that Biden's rapid withdrawal appears 'increasingly questionable.'

'While it’s not certain the Afghan resistance to the Taliban will crumble, a catastrophic outcome is still possible,' they say in a paper published by the Atlantic Council.

'Abandoning a courageous people as they attempt to fight back could leave millions of Afghans vulnerable to Taliban repression.

'That’s why we recommend a course correction involving redoubled efforts to support the Afghan security forces—particularly through airpower, which is immediately critical—as well as the vigorous implementation of US promises of continued security, economic, humanitarian, and diplomatic support.'

President Biden is under intense pressure to rethink his decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of August. Five former ambassadors have urged him to follow the Iraq model - maintaining a smaller engagement to prevent state collapse

The Taliban's rapid advance has seen them take control of almost two thirds of the country since President Biden announced the withdrawal of all remaining U.S. troops

The Afghan air force has been uploading videos showing attacks on Taliban fighters in an attempt to bolster morale and turn the tide of the war, with few battlefield victories to report

The Taliban flag is raised over the main square in Pul-e-Khumri, capital of Baghlan province, after the Islamists seized it from government forces late on Tuesday

Taliban commanders took control of three more provincial capitals, officials said on Wednesday. 

Their fighters hold as much as two thirds of the country after an advance that accelerated after Biden said all U.S. troops would leave the country by the end of August.  

Latest U.S. intelligence assessments suggest the Taliban could surround the capital in 30 days and take it over within 90.

Against that bleak backdrop, the Biden administration has attempted to shift the blame to a withdrawal deal struck between the Trump administration and the Taliban, while Biden himself on Tuesday called on Afghan to 'fight for themselves, fight for their nation.'

But the five former ambassadors - James Cunningham, Hugo Llorens, Ronald Neumann, Richard Olson, and Earl Anthony Wayne - say it is not too late for a course correction.

They recommend that instead of a full withdrawal, U.S. forces take on a more limited role as they have in Iraq, to prevent state collapse.  

They draw on their experience in the country to urge the administration to reconsider ending close air support on August 31.

'A pivotal element to holding Herat, as well as avoiding the loss of other key cities, effective air support not only boosts the morale of Afghan officials and security forces but also supports intelligence and logistics operations,' they say. 

'For the Afghan state, it buys time to recover its balance; for the United States and its allies, it provides space to consider what might still be salvaged after twenty years of development work.'

U.S. warplanes have pounded targets in recent weeks but that sort of air support is due to end on Aug 31, replaced by a more limited counterterrorism role.

At the same time, said the ambassadors, a senior Department of Defense official should be put in charge of defense-assistance efforts to ensure the Afghan air force has the maintenance and training it needs to keep flying.

A new diplomatic push is also needed, they say, with talks stalled in Qatar between the Taliban and Kabul. 

'With the Doha agreement on the withdrawal of American forces failing to deliver serious Afghan-to-Afghan negotiations, Biden should appoint and support a new US envoy for Afghanistan and the region to reinvigorate diplomacy,' they say.

State Department envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad traveled to Qatar this week to tell the Taliban they risked being a pariah state if they took Afghanistan through violence. 

But a host of commentators has said the process is discredited and Taliban negotiators have no interest in talking while their fighters advance rapidly.

The ambassadors say a different envoy is needed, complemented by the U.N., in bringing in together regional players - including Iran, which the U.S. cannot manage.

'It is late in the day, but the United States can, and must, act forcefully in Afghanistan with air and defense support along with robust diplomacy,' they conclude. 'The country’s future - as well as Washington’s global credibility - is at stake.'

Biden reportedly ignored his generals reservations about a complete withdrawal from the country. 

And officials have been clear that he stands by his decision.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has warned the Taliban they risk isolation if they take Afghanistan through violence. 'The Taliban also has to make an assessment about what they want their role to be in the international community,' she said on Wednesday

'Ultimately, our view is that the Afghan National Security Defense Forces have the equipment, numbers, and training to fight back, which will strengthen their position at the negotiating table,' said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday.

'We believe there's a political process -- that's the only process that will successfully bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.'

Some allies disagree.

Sir Nicholas Kay, former British ambassador to Afghanistan, described the pullout as 'premature.'

'This was a defence, training and advice and assistance mission and they're struggling now, we can see that,' he told the BBC. 

'It is important that the support continues. NATO is still there, civilian presence, providing training advice and channelling funding to the Afghan forces, that's vital.'

At the same time, Biden officials have said the president had no option but to withdraw forces after the previous administration struck a deal with the Taliban.

'This was an agreement that was concluded in early 2020, a year before this administration came in,' State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters as he defended the withdrawal.

'It was an agreement that – as President Biden said when he announced the military withdrawal, it’s a deal that this administration probably would not have made, certainly not in all the detail. 

'But it’s a deal that we inherited.'