President Joe Biden defends troop withdrawal from Afghanistan

“After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw. Any more years in Afghanistan would not have made any difference,” said Biden, adding that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had failed to prepare the country for conflict.

Amid harsh criticism of the troop pullout, Biden said he would rather not pass on the Afghan problem to a fifth President. “American forces should not have to die in a war that Afghan troops are not willing to fight themselves,” he said.

“We’ll lead with our diplomacy, international influence and humanitarian aid. We’ll push for regional diplomacy to prevent violence and instability,” Biden said. He pledged America’s continued support and pointed out that troops were helping with evacuation and will continue to do so.

On May 1, American troops began a scheduled withdrawal from Afghanistan, as part of a deal negotiated by the Trump administration. Biden said troops will clear out entirely by September 11 - 20 years to the day the twin towers were attacked. By July, American troops emptied the Bagram airfield - their largest base in Afghanistan - and Kabul fell to the Taliban just over a month after.