Biden: US withdrawal from Afghanistan was the best decision

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, once again defended his policy regarding the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan, stating it was the best decision for his country. Biden considered the evacuation mission of American citizens from Kabul to be extraordinarily successful.

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, said on Tuesday, August 31st (Shahrivar 8th), in his first televised address after the last American soldiers left Kabul: “Ending the 20-year military mission was the best decision for America, and the time to end this war had come.”

Regarding the operation to rescue Western citizens and Afghan local staff following the Taliban’s rise to power, Biden said: “The evacuation mission over the past few weeks was an extraordinary success, and more than 120,000 people have been transferred to safe locations.”

The US President emphasized that no country in history has conducted such an operation.

Biden defended his decision to end military operations by August 31st, saying he was “not willing to extend this endless war.”

In justifying his decision, he argued that he had only two options: either remain bound by the previous US administration’s agreement between Donald Trump and the Taliban, or send new forces to Afghanistan, and he chose the first option to end “America’s longest war in history.”

Biden has faced intense pressure within the United States over his policy in Afghanistan and the evacuation mission of American forces and their local partners from Kabul.

Critics argue he has betrayed America’s allies in Afghanistan and damaged America’s credibility globally. They also criticized that he should have initiated the withdrawal earlier.

However, in his first televised address at the White House, the US President said he had promised American citizens to end the war, and now the war in Afghanistan has ended.

Joe Biden, the President of the United States, had issued an order for the complete withdrawal of his forces, and this operation formally ended on Tuesday, August 31st (Shahrivar 8th), with the departure of the last American soldiers from Afghan soil.

The withdrawal of American and NATO forces from Afghanistan took place based on the agreement between the US and the Taliban in Doha, the capital of Qatar, in 2020. Following this agreement, American and NATO forces began their withdrawal process from Afghanistan.

Since the beginning of the withdrawal operations of American and NATO forces and local partners, civil activists, and women’s rights defenders, approximately 120,000 people have left Afghanistan.

Biden further warned of ISIS and said the fight against this group has not ended, and the struggle against terrorism in Afghanistan and other countries will continue.

The Taliban celebrated the withdrawal of foreign forces. In Kandahar, thousands of people took to the streets and celebrated by waving their flags.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, has stated that the Taliban desires good relations with America and the world, and Afghanistan should not be subjected to international isolation again.

Source: DW