- The US military mission in Afghanistan will end on August 31.
- President Joe Biden stated that the United States will continue to have a diplomatic presence in the country.
- The Pentagon stated that 90% of the evacuation of US troops has been completed.
President Joe Biden said on Thursday that how to manage the country depends entirely on the Afghan people, as he announced that the US military mission in Afghanistan will end on August 31, despite new concerns about the possibility of civil war.
“We didn’t go to Afghanistan for nation-building,” Biden said. “It is the right and responsibility of the Afghan people to determine their future and how they want to manage their country.”
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Under pressure from critics, Biden made the most extensive comment to date on the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, demanding more explanations for his withdrawal decision.
Biden also stated that the United States plans to move thousands of Afghan interpreters out of the country, hoping that the US military mission in the country will end on August 31.
We will never forget those who gave their last all their lives in Afghanistan for our country-nor will we forget those who suffered trauma during the service and whose lives cannot be estimated. We are ending America’s longest war, but we will always respect those who served in it.
-President Biden (@POTUS) July 8, 2021
The United States abandoned Bagram Air Force Base last weekend, which was a long-term gathering place for American military operations in the country, effectively ending the longest U.S. war. The Pentagon stated that 90% of the evacuation of US troops has been completed.
Washington agreed to withdraw from Biden’s Republican predecessor Donald Trump in an agreement negotiated last year. Biden vetoed military leaders who wanted to maintain a greater presence to assist the Afghan security forces and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a gathering place for extremist groups.
Instead, the United States plans to leave 650 soldiers in Afghanistan to provide security for the US embassy.
Biden ordered the withdrawal of US troops by September 11 after 20 years of conflict in April, which coincided with the significant progress made by the Islamic radical Taliban movement against the overwhelmed Afghan army after the breakdown of peace negotiations.
General Austin Miller, the US military commander in Afghanistan, warned last week that the country may be heading for civil war.
