U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday that the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan will be “completed by Aug. 31. Biden said the United States has achieved its stated goals in Afghanistan. However, Biden also said, the Taliban take over control of Afghanistan “is not inevitable.
AFP news agency, U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday in announcing that U.S. troops will complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan on Aug. 31, the United States has “achieved its goal in Afghanistan,” that is, to combat the threat of terrorism.
“It’s not inevitable,” Biden said in response to a question about whether the Taliban would take over after the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Taliban forces have now stepped up their military offensive in various locations.
Biden assured that the Afghan government is “capable” of ensuring the continuation of the government.
Asked whether his own intelligence service foresaw the fall of the Afghan government, Biden replied categorically, “That’s not true. Biden said, “It is highly unlikely that a future unified Afghan government will control the entire country.”
But Biden promised that despite the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the United States will “continue” to support the Afghan people. The U.S. military has now completed 90 percent of its withdrawal.
Biden said the U.S. did not intervene in Afghanistan two decades ago “to build a nation,” which Biden stressed was the “responsibility” of the Afghans themselves. Biden also said, “I will not send a new generation of Americans to fight in Afghanistan,” saying, “We are ending America’s longest war, but the courage of American troops serving in Afghanistan will always be our honor.”
Biden also directly assured Afghan interpreters who may face retaliation for helping U.S. troops that “there is a place for you” in the United States. Some 18,000 Afghans, including interpreters, drivers or contractors, are awaiting word on whether they will be able to settle in the United States.
Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan forces raged Thursday for a second day in northwestern Afghanistan, as the Taliban launched its first offensive against a provincial capital since the latest phase of the U.S. withdrawal began.
Recent Comments