Biden defends decision to withdraw from Afghanistan

1 min read

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden addressed the nation a day after the country withdrew its troops from Afghanistan.

Biden defended the decision to withdraw from Kabul airport by Aug. 31, 2021, although hundreds of US citizens and thousands of Afghan allies remain in Afghanistan, saying, “I was not going to extend this forever war.”

Biden said that the US evacuation effort airlifted 100,000 Afghan allies and 5,500 US citizens out of Afghanistan. Around 100 to 200 US citizens remain in Afghanistan and wish to leave, according to Biden, and the US government will continue to help them try to exit. Biden described the US evacuation effort as an “extraordinary success.”

The President also pledged to continue to strike the Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K), the group that claimed responsibility for a deadly attack at the Kabul airport last week.

Many lawmakers had called on Biden to extend the Aug. 31 deadline to allow more Americans and Afghans to escape. He said on Tuesday it was not an arbitrary deadline, and that sticking to it was aimed at saving lives.

Zack Benz

Zack Benz has been a fan of the Daily Planet since he was eight years old. The Daily Planet has always been a beacon of hope for him and it’s his life’s mission to make it shine in a similar light to so many around the world. Zack graduated with a degree in journalism and art from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2019.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

20-year war in Afghanistan ends with US withdrawal

Next Story

Ida pummels parts of the northeast with heavy rain

Latest from News