America has abandoned its duty to democracy in Afghanistan and left the country to civil war, says former US commander there General Petraeus

 A former US commander has said America is leaving Afghanistan to face a 'bloody, brutal civil war'. 

General David Petraeus, 68, said that America has abandoned its duty to protect democracy and civil rights in the country. 

America will completely vacate Afghanistan by the end of this month and western commanders are voicing concerns of a Taliban takeover. 

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General David Petraeus (pictured), 68, said that America has abandoned its duty to protect democracy and civil rights in the country

General Petraeus told The Times: 'The rest of the world will see that we are not supporting democracy or maintaining the values that we promote around the world — human rights, particularly women's rights, the right to education and freedom of speech and press — all very imperfect in Afghanistan, but vastly better than if the Taliban reinstates a medieval Islamist regime.

'The worst-case scenario is we could see a bloody, brutal civil war similar to that of the 1990s when the Taliban prevailed.' 

He added that there would likely be a return of an al-Qaeda sanctuary if that were to happen, causing millions of refugees to flood in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries and a reduction in freedoms for citizens, particularly women. 

General Petraeus, who spent 37 years in the US army, said he is 'a little bit unclear' why they didn't maintain 3,500 troops to prevent Taliban sieges, noting that up to 2,500 US troops are remaining in Iran in a non-combat role to help Iraqi security forces keep an eye on 'insurgent and terrorist cell remnants'. 

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America will completely vacate Afghanistan by the end of this month and western commanders are voicing concerns of a Taliban takeover

Kandahar and Herat are currently under siege by the Taliban and tens of thousands of Afghans are fleeing. 

The warning comes as the Biden administration on Monday expanded its efforts to evacuate at-risk Afghan citizens from the country as Taliban violence increased. 

The State Department said it is widening the scope of Afghans eligible for refugee status in the United States to include current and former employees of US-based news organisations, US-based aid and development agencies and other relief groups that receive US funding. 

Current and former employees of the US government and the NATO military operation who don't meet the criteria for a dedicated program for such workers are also covered. 

The State Department said the move will mean that 'many thousands' of Afghans and their immediate families will now have the opportunity to be permanently resettled in the US as refugees. 

It did not offer a more specific number of those who might be eligible for the program.  

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General Petraeus added that there would likely be a return of an al-Qaeda sanctuary if that were to happen, causing millions of refugees to flood in Pakistan and other neighbouring countries and a reduction in freedoms for citizens, particularly women (Pictured: Afghan security personnel and Afghan militia fighting against Taliban)

In a statement, it said: 'The US objective remains a peaceful, secure Afghanistan. However, in light of increased levels of Taliban violence, the US government is working to provide certain Afghans, including those who worked with the United States, the opportunity for refugee resettlement to the United States.'   

General Petraeus's comments come after the Taliban stepped up a nationwide offensive and targeted three major cities and a key airport as the Afghan government struggle to fight back.

Fighting surged across the country since early May when US-led foreign forces began to withdraw. 

Hundreds of commandos have now been deployed to the western city of Herat while authorities in the southern city of Kashkar Gah called for more troops to rein in the assaults.

Rockets struck the airport in Kandahar before dawn on Sunday and flights out of Afghanistan's second-largest city and the former stronghold for the insurgents were halted. 

Airport chief Massoud Pashtun said two rockets had hit the runway and repairs were underway.  

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Kandahar and Herat are currently under siege by the Taliban and tens of thousands of Afghans are fleeing (Pictured: Afghan security personnel and Afghan militia fighting against Taliban

The facility is vital to maintaining the logistics and air support needed to keep the Taliban from overrunning the city, while also providing aerial cover for large tracts of southern Afghanistan. 

The attack came as the Taliban inched closer to overwhelming at least two other provincial capitals, including nearby Lashkar Gah in Helmand province.   

The creation of a 'Priority 2' category for Afghans within the US Refugee Admissions Program is intended for Afghans and their immediate families who 'may be at risk due to their US affiliation' but aren't able to get a Special Immigrant Visa because they did not work directly for the US government or didn't hold their government jobs for long enough.

To qualify for the Priority 2 category, Afghans. must be nominated by a US government agency or by the most senior civilian US citizen employee of a US-based media outlet or nongovernment organisation. 

The first group of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants - most of whom served as translators or did other work for US troops or diploments - who have already cleared security vetting arrived in the US on Friday. 

That group of 221 people are among 2,500 who will be brought to the US in the coming days. 

Another 4,000 SIV applicants, plus their families, who have not yet cleared the security screening are expected to be relocated to third countries ahead of the completion of the US withdrawal. 

Roughly 20,000 Afghans have expressed interest in the program.