‘I take responsibility for the decision’, says Biden on Afghanistan withdrawal

Aug 31, 2021

Washington DC (USA), Sept 01(ANI): United States President Joe Biden on September 1 defended the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan. He said that he takes the responsibility for his decision to withdraw US troops from the war-torn country, but said he respectfully disagrees with those who say he should have begun mass evacuations earlier, claiming there would have been a rush to the airport. "I take responsibility for the decision. Some say we should have started it sooner. I respectfully disagree. Had it been before, it would have led to a rush or a civil war. There is no evacuation from the end of the war without challenges, threats we face," he said.Biden said the U.S. achieved its original goal in Afghanistan a decade ago by hunting down Osama bin Laden, the Al-Qaida leader and the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, but still stayed another decade. The terrorist threat has metastasized since then, Biden said, and the U.S. will maintain its fight against it, but he added, "We don't need to fight a ground war to do it," he said. The United States forces left Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, marking the end of chaotic and messy exit from America's longest war.