PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN SAYS AMERICAN TROOPS WILL LEAVE AFGHANISTAN... BY THE END OF AUGUST. HE SAYS KEEPING EVEN A SMALL NUMBER OF TROOPS THERE WOULD MEAN AN INDEFINITE STAY. CRITICS SAY LEAVING NOW OPENS THE DOOR FOR THE TALIBAN TO TAKE OVER.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DECISION TO WITHDRAW... WITH FOREIGN POLICY'S JACK DETSCH.
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--President Biden made an announcement that the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will conclude August 31st, after being advised that “safety is speed” when it comes to pulling U.S. troops out. The president defended the decision to pull out, saying that maintaining a small presence in the country could mean an indefinite stay.
-- Biden also cast some blame towards the previous administration’s deal with the Taliban. “Once that agreement with the Taliban had been made, staying with the bare minimum force was no longer possible,” he said.
-- While critics say that the move could allow the Taliban to make some significant gains in the area, President Biden pushed back against the notion. “The likelihood there’s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely,” Biden said.