Joe Biden defended his decision to leave Afghanistan permanently on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. The President of the United States spoke in a speech at the White House.
In a speech at the White House on Tuesday, August 31, Joe Biden largely reversed the U.S. decision to leave Afghanistan. Despite the strong criticisms surrounding the chaotic evacuation operations and bereaved by a heavy attack, Joe Biden thinks it was the best decision. After 17 days of evacuation marked by a deadly attack, Joe Biden appeared before the cameras determined and serene. He did not fail to point out why this decision was made. When I was running for president, I made a commitment to the Americans to end this war. Today, I am keeping that commitment. It was time to be honest with the Americans again.”
The US President criticised the failed Afghan government’s failure to organize a response to the Taliban offensive, which forced the US and its NATO allies into a humiliating emergency evacuation. He also stressed the role played by his predecessor, Donald Trump, in the current situation. The agreement reached by the Trump administration with the Taliban allowed, according to him, to release 5,000 prisoners in 2020. Some of the leading Taliban officers, who are among those who took control today, benefited from this release.” When I took office, the Taliban were in their strongest military position since 2001 as they control almost half the country,’ he said.
As a reminder, it was in 2001 that the Americans entered Afghanistan at the head of an international coalition, to drive the Taliban out of power because of their refusal to hand over the leader of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, after the September 11 attacks in the United States.
