- President Joe Biden said that he rightly called for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
- Biden says US officials believe that there are still 100 to 200 Americans remaining in Afghanistan with “intention to leave”.
- Biden said that Afghan officials, including former President Ashraf Ghani, assured him that the Afghan army will fight the insurgents.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday rejected criticism of his decision to comply with this week’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, which resulted in 100 to 200 Americans and thousands of Afghan citizens allied with the United States staying in the country.
In a televised speech in the White House State Banquet Room, Biden criticized the deported Afghan government for its inability to counter the rapid advancement of the Taliban, which forced the United States and its NATO allies to withdraw hastily and humiliatingly, and emphasized the role played by the predecessor. US President Donald Trump.
Read | Former Afghan minister called the timing of the U.S. withdrawal “irresponsible”
Biden said that Trump’s transaction authorization “released 5,000 prisoners last year, including some senior Taliban war commanders, including those who had just gained control.”
He said:
When I took office, the Taliban were in the strongest military position since 2001, controlling or competing for nearly half of the country.
Biden said that US officials believe that there are still 100 to 200 Americans “planning to leave.” He said that most of the people who stayed are dual citizens and long-term residents who had previously decided to stay, adding that the United States is determined to let them leave.
Many lawmakers have called on Biden to extend the August 31 deadline to allow more Americans and Afghans to escape, but Biden said that this is “not an arbitrary deadline,” but “to save lives.”
Biden said:
I am responsible for this decision. Now some people say that we should start a large-scale evacuation sooner, and that this cannot be done in a more orderly manner. I respectfully disagree.
He said that even if the evacuation started in June or July, people who wanted to leave “will still rush to the airport.”
With the Taliban taking over the two decades of military intervention that Biden is determined to end, the last batch of US troops withdrew from Afghanistan this week.
Although most Americans agree with his views, the ending is not smooth. Biden’s presidency has been focused on fighting the coronavirus pandemic and rebuilding the economy, but now faces political investigations, the handling of troop withdrawals, and the logistical challenges of finding new homes for thousands of Afghans who have been transferred to US military bases.
Biden must also deal with the surge in coronavirus infections, hurricanes and wildfires, as well as a series of difficult deadlines before he can pass signature spending measures through Congress.
Republicans and some Democrats expressed frustration and anger at Afghanistan’s rapid fall into the Taliban, the former leader who was expelled by the United States after the September 11, 2001 attack, and what they called a botched troop withdrawal.
Read also | Video shows Taliban taking over Kabul airport and shooting to celebrate after U.S. withdrawal
Republicans are expected to use this crisis to try to undermine Biden’s policy and legislative agenda and make it a topic in the 2022 midterm elections. Republicans want to seize control of the Senate and House of Representatives from Biden’s Democrats, which may hinder the second half of his presidency.
Biden said that if there is no withdrawal, more troops will have to go to Afghanistan and be in danger.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Monday showed that less than 40% of Americans agree with Biden’s handling of the withdrawal, and three-quarters want the U.S. military to stay in the country until all American civilians can. Evacuate.
House Republican leaders, including Michael McCall, the top Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said they unanimously wrote to Biden’s national security adviser Jack Sullivan, asking for details of plans to repatriate Americans and evacuate others.
McCall said in a statement: “Congress has the right to know how to facilitate and conduct these evacuations.”
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