Status: 16.08.2021 11:01 p.m.
The situation in Kabul after the Taliban came to power is dire. Nevertheless, US President Biden defended the American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. In the event of an attack, he threatened the Taliban with a “strong reaction”.
Despite the Taliban’s swift takeover of power, US President Joe Biden defended the withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan that he ordered. He is adamant about his decision, Biden said at a press conference in the White House. He admitted that the collapse of the Afghan government was quicker than anticipated.
It would have made no difference if the US troops had stayed in Afghanistan a little longer, he said. This, too, could not have changed the Afghan security forces’ lack of willingness to fight. He made serious allegations against the disempowered political leadership and the armed forces of Afghanistan. “The political leaders in Afghanistan have given up and fled the country,” said Biden. “The Afghan military has collapsed, sometimes without trying to fight.”
Biden stressed that he was against “endless military operations”. He had the choice between an agreement to withdraw the troops or to send thousands more soldiers and a “third decade” of war. He will not repeat the mistakes of the past, he said. “American troops cannot and should not fight and die in a war that the Afghan armed forces are not ready to fight themselves,” said Biden.
Biden sees successful fight against terrorism
The US President said the US goal in Afghanistan was never to build a state, but to fight terrorism. The original goal of the US operation in Afghanistan had long been achieved – namely to prevent the terrorist group Al-Qaeda from continuing to use Afghanistan as a retreat after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
It was Biden’s first public statement since the militant Islamist Taliban actually took power in Afghanistan and the capital Kabul. To do this, he returned to Washington from the presidential estate of Camp David in Maryland.
Threat to the Taliban
Biden announced in the spring that the 2,500 or so remaining soldiers would leave Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the attacks. Most recently, the withdrawal date was brought forward to the end of August. In view of the advance of the Taliban, however, the US military has been increasing its presence again since last week in order to secure the evacuation of embassy staff, American citizens and former Afghan employees of the US military. The US armed forces want to have up to 6,000 soldiers stationed at the airport in Kabul shortly.
In the event of an attack on US forces, Biden threatened the Taliban with “a swift and strong” military response. This applies to any action that would endanger US personnel or their mission.