The Biden administration’s surprise announcement of an unconditional troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by September appears to strip Taliban insurgents and the Afghan government of considerable leverage.

They can no longer hold the US hostage because Washington made it clear that troops are leaving, no matter what.

Previously, when the withdrawal had been conditional, the Taliban had been escalating violence while the Afghan president dragged his feet on a power-sharing deal with the insurgents.

At the same time, fears are growing of worsening chaos in conflict-scarred Afghanistan even before the Americans leave.