MUGENDAILY.CLUB – On Sunday, the Taliban declared victory after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled and his government collapsed. “How many more American lives is it worth?” asked the Democratic president.
On Sunday, the Taliban declared victory after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled and his government collapsed. “How many more American lives is it worth?” asked the Democratic president.
Biden said that despite the “messy” pull-out, “there was never a good time to withdraw US forces”.
At Biden’s speech: Biden followed a dramatic day at Kabul’s international airport, The militants’ return to rule brings an end to almost 20 years of a US-led coalition’s presence in the country.
Kabul was the last major city in Afghanistan to fall to a Taliban offensive that began months ago but accelerated in recent days as they gained control of territories, shocking many observers.
Earlier on Monday, the US suspended its evacuation from Kabul after scenes of panic at the capital’s airport turned deadly.
Thousands of civilians desperate to flee the country had thronged the tarmac.
A US military official told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that American troops had killed two armed Afghans who were part of a huge crowd that breached the airport perimeter.
Seven people reportedly died in total.
His decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan
President Biden said he stands “squarely behind” speaking from the White House Monday as he drew bipartisan criticism over the swift collapse of the government and the ensuing chaos.
He acknowledged that the Taliban took control of the country more quickly than he expected and that the U.S. exit has been “far from perfect,” although he took little responsibility for that.
“If anything, the developments of the past week reinforce that ending US military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision,” said Mr Biden.
“American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.”
Last month he assured reporters it was “highly unlikely” the Taliban would overrun the entire country.
But he conceded on Monday that “this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated”.
Mr Biden also noted he had inherited a deal negotiated with the Taliban under former President Donald Trump for the US to withdraw from Afghanistan by May of this year.
Mr Biden is facing an intense political backlash over the turmoil in Kabul following his April decision to order all American troops out of Afghanistan by 11 September, While pledging to get Americans and U.S. allies out of the country safely.
Mr Biden’s assessment by the chief of the Nato alliance
Nato alliance which had a leading role in combat operations and training government security forces in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Nato forces “never intended to stay in Afghanistan forever,” Because the speed with which the Taliban took control took them by surprise.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said “this is a political failure of the Afghan leadership”
Opinion polls suggest most Americans support the US exiting Afghanistan.
But Mr Biden is facing a barrage of criticism over the manner of the departure, after he withdrew US troops then sent thousands back in to help the evacuation.
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