Biden defends decision to pull out of Afghanistan despite Taliban takeover
Amid chaotic scenes in Afghanistan, President Biden stood “squarely behind” by the decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan despite swift takeover of Taliban in the country where U.S. winds down its 20-year war.
Biden acknowledged that the Taliban’s speed in retaking the country and rapid advances stunned American officials. “The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we anticipated.”
Breaking his silence on the U.S. pullout, Biden blamed the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the U.S.-trained Afghan army to fight the militant group. Taliban, a force of 75,000 militants, overwhelmed Afghan army of about 300,000 — at times without a single bullet fired.
“Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military gave up, sometimes without trying to fight,” Biden said. “We gave them every tool they could need. We paid their salaries, provided for the maintenance of their air force — something the Taliban doesn’t have. Taliban does not have an air force. We provided close air support. We gave them every chance to determine their own future. What we could not provide them was the will to fight for that future.”
“If anything, the developments of the past week reinforced that ending U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision” he stated.
“If anything, the developments of the past week reinforced that ending U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision” he stated.
He warned Taliban leaders they would face “devastating force” should they interfere with the U.S. pullout. Biden has send U.S. troop reinforcements to Kabul to ensure a safe withdrawal of American diplomatic personnel and civilians as well as Afghan citizens who worked with the United States and could face reprisals.
Key takeaways from Biden’s speech:
- “Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation building. It was never supposed to be creating a unified, centralized democracy. Our only vital national interest in Afghanistan remains today what it has always been: preventing a terrorist attack on American homeland.”
- “We conduct effective counterterrorism missions against terrorist groups in multiple countries where we don’t have a permanent military presence. If necessary, we will do the same in Afghanistan.”
- “The developments of the past week reinforced that ending U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision. 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.”
- “I will not repeat the mistakes we’ve made in the past…Our mission in Afghanistan has taken many missteps — made many missteps over the past two decades. I’m now the fourth American President to preside over war in Afghanistan — two Democrats and two Republicans. I will not pass this responsibly on — responsibility on to a fifth President.”
