out of Afghanistan"

President Biden refused to back away from his decision to end the American military's combat mission in the nation, where the US had fought the nation's longest war, asserting that the US mission was "never supposed to be nation building" and blaming the Afghan government for the fall.

"I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years, I've learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces," Biden said during a speech from the East Room of the White House Monday afternoon.

"That's why we're still there. We were clear-eyed about the risks. We planned for every contingency.

But I always promised the American people I would be straight with you. The truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated."

Biden added that the US national interest in Afghanistan has always been "preventing a terrorist attack on American home land," and that that US mission had already been met.

Biden has not second-guessed his decision to withdraw.  And senior White House advisers said the swift collapse of the Afghan military after years of training from American forces only confirmed the unlikelihood that any more time in the country could change the eventual outcome.
 

Last edited by Spunky (8/16/2021 5:22 pm)