Biden says he stands “squarely behind” Afghanistan decision

By ZEKE MILLER, JONATHAN LEMIRE and JOSH BOAK

WASHINGTON (AP) — Striking a defiant tone, President Joe Biden said Monday that helium stands “squarely behind” his determination to retreat U.S. forces from Afghanistan and that the Afghan government’s illness was quicker than anticipated.

Biden said helium was faced with a prime betwixt sticking to a antecedently negotiated statement to retreat U.S. troops this twelvemonth oregon sending thousands much work members backmost into Afghanistan for a “third decade” of war.

Biden said helium volition not repetition mistakes of the past and did not regret his determination to proceed with the withdrawal.

“I basal squarely down my decision,” Biden said successful a televised code to the federation from the White House East Room. “After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard mode that determination was ne'er a bully clip to retreat U.S. forces.”

Biden said he’d alternatively instrumentality the disapproval implicit the fallout successful Afghanistan than walk the determination to a 5th president. He said the determination to permission Afghanistan is “the close 1 for America.” He said keeping a U.S. beingness successful Afghanistan was nary longer a U.S. nationalist information interest.

Biden described the images coming retired of Afghanistan — particularly astatine the airdrome successful Kabul, wherever Afghans descended successful hopes of fleeing the state — arsenic “gut-wrenching.” Video of Afghans clinging to a U.S. Air Force level arsenic it prepared to instrumentality disconnected had circulated wide connected the internet.

But helium did not admit immoderate U.S. responsibility successful however the drawdown was executed. He acknowledged that the Taliban takeover unfolded faster than had been anticipated.

About a period ago, Biden batted distant the conception of a accelerated Taliban takeover.

Biden said Monday the U.S. volition proceed to enactment the Afghan people, propulsion for determination diplomacy and talk retired for the rights of Afghans.

Senior U.S. subject officials said the chaos astatine the airdrome successful Kabul near 7 radical dormant Monday, including immoderate who fell from a departing American subject transport jet. The officials spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that they were not authorized to publically sermon ongoing operations.

Afghans rushed onto the tarmac arsenic thousands tried to flight aft the Taliban seized power. Some clung to the broadside of a U.S. subject level earlier takeoff, successful a wide shared video that captured the desperation arsenic America’s 20-year warfare comes to a chaotic end.

Another video showed the Afghans falling arsenic the level gained altitude implicit Kabul. U.S. troops resorted to firing informing shots and utilizing helicopters to wide a way for transport aircraft.

The Pentagon confirmed Monday that U.S. forces changeable and killed 2 individuals it said were armed, arsenic Biden ordered different battalion of troops — astir 1,000 — to unafraid the airfield, which was closed to arrivals and departures for hours Monday due to the fact that of civilians connected the runway.

The velocity of the Afghan government’s illness and the ensuing chaos posed the astir superior trial of Biden arsenic commandant successful chief, and helium came nether withering disapproval from Republicans who said helium had failed.

Biden expressed assurance successful his determination to proceed with the withdrawal and said helium was prepared to instrumentality the heat.

He said helium was “deeply saddened by the facts we present face, but I bash not regret my decision.”

Biden campaigned arsenic a seasoned adept successful planetary relations and has spent months downplaying the imaginable of an ascendant Taliban portion arguing that Americans of each governmental persuasions person bushed of a 20-year war, a struggle that demonstrated the limits of wealth and subject mightiness to unit a Western-style ideology connected a nine not acceptable oregon consenting to clasp it.