International

US President Joe Biden Says He Stands By Decision To Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan

Jeo Biden

In his first address since Taliban took control of Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden said he stands by the decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan.

Taliban took control of Afghanistan and the nation’s Ashraf Ghani-led government collapsed as the world watched it with horror. The events of this week come after US forces, that have been stationed in Afghanistan for twenty years now, began withdrawing earlier this year.

On Monday, US President Joe Biden made his first speech since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Among other things, he stated that he stands by his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan during the 15-minute-long speech. He said, “I am the President of the USA and the buck stops with me.”

Joe Biden said he had to choose between sticking to a previously negotiated agreement to withdraw US troops this year or sending thousands more service members back into Afghanistan to fight a “third decade” of war.

He said he had inherited the deal struck by former president Donald Trump with the Taliban, according to which there was no ceasefire or agreement protecting the US forces in Afghanistan post May 1.

Biden said he’d rather take the current criticism than pass the issue on to a fifth US president. He said it’s time to end USA’s longest war after twenty years and that this was the right decision for his nation.

During his speech, Joe Biden admitted, “I always promised Americans that I’ll be straight with them. The truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we anticipated, even though we planned for every contingency.”

He acknowledged the “gut-wrenching” images that were coming out of Afghanistan and said that the misery was “deeply personal”. However, he added, “After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces. Any more years in Afghanistan would not have made any difference. US troops were bearing the brunt for them [Afghans].”

Suggesting reasons for the rapid Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Joe Biden said, “Afghan political leaders gave up and fled the nation. The military collapsed, in some places without trying to fight.”

“We spent over a trillion dollars. We gave the Afghans every chance. But we couldn’t provide them the will to fight for their future,” Joe Biden said.

Also read: India Evacuates Kabul Embassy, Special Flight Brings Them Home

The US President claimed that the decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan was justified as the “American forces should not have to die in a war that Afghan troops were not willing to fight themselves.” “How many more generations of American sons and daughters should lose their lives in an indefinite war?” Joe Biden asked.

“When I met Ghani in June and spoke to him over the phone in July, we had a very clear conversation. We spoke about preparing Afghanistan for a civil war after the US military pulls out. We discussed the need to clean up corruption in the government so it can function for the people and the need for Afghan leaders to unite politically. They failed to do all of this,” Joe Biden said.

He added that he had advised Ashraf Ghani to seek a political settlement with the Taliban but they had failed to do that as well.

“We will not repeat the mistake of staying and fighting indefinitely in a conflict that’s not in our national interest, of doubling down on a civil war in a foreign country, of attempting to remake a country through endless military deployment of US forces,” Joe Biden said.

Further, he added, “Our true competitors China and Russia would want nothing more than for us to continue to funnel billions of dollars and resources indefinitely into Afghanistan.” The US, he maintained, was making the right decision by withdrawing its troops.

In a stern warning to the Taliban, Joe Biden said, “If they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the US response will be swift and forceful. We will defend our people with devastating force if necessary.”

 

Dear Readers,
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.

Related posts