Biden praises airlift, defends departure from ‘forever war’

WASHINGTON — Addressing the nation, a antiaircraft President Joe Biden connected Tuesday called the U.S. subject airlift to extract much than 120,000 Afghans, Americans and different allies to extremity a 20 twelvemonth warfare an “extraordinary success,” though much than 100 Americans and thousands of Afghans looking to permission remain.

Twenty-four hours aft the departure of the past American C-17 cargo level from Kabul, Biden vigorously defended his determination to extremity America’s longest warfare and retreat each U.S. troops up of an Aug. 31 deadline.

“I was not going to widen this everlastingly war,” Biden said successful an code from the White House State Dining Room. “And I was not going to widen a everlastingly exit.”

Biden has faced pugnacious questions astir the mode the U.S. went astir leaving Afghanistan — a chaotic evacuation and spasms of unit including a termination weaponry that killed 13 American work members and 169 Afghans.

He is nether dense criticism, peculiarly from Republicans, for his handling of the evacuation, though it successfully airlifted much than 120,000 radical from Kabul airport.

But helium said it was inevitable that the last departure from 2 decades of warfare would beryllium hard with apt violence, nary substance erstwhile it was planned and conducted.

“To those asking for a 3rd decennary of warfare successful Afghanistan I ask, ‘What is the captious nationalist interest?’” Biden said. He added, “I simply bash not judge that the information and information of America is enhanced by continuing to deploy thousands of American troops and spending billions of dollars successful Afghanistan.”

In summation to each the questions astatine home, Biden is besides adjusting to a caller narration with the Taliban, the Islamist militant radical that the U.S. toppled aft the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and that is present erstwhile again successful powerfulness successful Afghanistan.

The past Air Force transport level departed Kabul 1 infinitesimal earlier midnight Monday, raising questions astir wherefore Biden didn’t proceed the airlift for astatine slightest different day. He had acceptable Tuesday arsenic a deadline for ending the evacuation and pulling retired remaining troops aft the Taliban took implicit the country.

In a written connection Monday, Biden said subject commanders unanimously favored ending the airlift alternatively of extending it. He said helium asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken to coordinate with planetary partners to clasp the Taliban to their committedness of harmless transition for Americans and others who privation to permission successful the days ahead.

Blinken enactment the fig of Americans inactive successful Afghanistan astatine nether 200, “likely person to 100,” and said the State Department would support moving to get them out. He said the U.S. diplomatic presence would displacement to Doha, Qatar.

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s nationalist information adviser, said Tuesday of the effort to get remaining Americans out: “It’s conscionable that it has shifted from a subject ngo to a diplomatic mission.” On ABC’s “Good Morning America,” helium cited “considerable leverage” implicit the Taliban to implicit that effort.

The closing hours of the evacuation were marked by bonzer drama. American troops faced the daunting task of getting last evacuees onto planes portion besides getting themselves and immoderate of their instrumentality out, adjacent arsenic they monitored repeated threats — and astatine slightest 2 existent attacks — by the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate. A termination bombing connected Aug. 26 killed 13 American work members and immoderate 180 Afghans. More died successful assorted incidents during the airdrome evacuation.

The last pullout fulfilled Biden’s pledge to extremity what helium called a “forever war” that began successful effect to the 9/11 attacks that killed astir 3,000 radical successful New York, Washington and agrarian Pennsylvania. His decision, announced successful April, reflected a nationalist weariness of the Afghanistan conflict.

In Biden’s presumption the warfare could person ended 10 years agone with the U.S. sidesplitting of Osama bin Laden, whose al-Qaida extremist web planned and executed the 9/11 crippled from an Afghanistan sanctuary. Al-Qaida has been vastly diminished, preventing it frankincense acold from again attacking the United States.

Congressional committees, whose involvement successful the warfare waned implicit the years, are expected to clasp nationalist hearings connected what went incorrect successful the last months of the U.S. withdrawal. Why, for example, did the medication not statesman earlier the evacuation of American citizens arsenic good arsenic Afghans who had helped the U.S. warfare effort?

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., connected Tuesday described the Biden administration’s handling of the evacuation arsenic “probably the biggest nonaccomplishment successful American authorities connected a subject signifier successful my lifetime” and promised that Republicans would property the White House for answers connected what went wrong.

“We tin ne'er marque this mistake again,” McCarthy said.

A radical of Republican lawmakers gathered connected the House level connected Tuesday greeting and participated successful a infinitesimal of soundlessness for the 13 work members who were killed during the termination bomber onslaught past week.

They besides sought a House ballot connected authorities from Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., which among different things, would necessitate the medication to taxable a study connected however galore Americans stay successful Afghanistan arsenic good arsenic the fig of Afghans who had applied for a class of visas reserved for those who were employed by oregon connected behalf of the U.S. government.

The GOP lawmakers objected arsenic Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., gaveled the House into adjournment and past gathered for a property league to denounce the administration.

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Associated Press writer Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor contributed reporting.