Afghanistan: Joe Biden Ends “America’s Longest War”

President Joe Biden on Wednesday confirmed the withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks, which prompted US intervention. He also urged the Taliban to keep “their anti-terrorist commitment”.

The President of the United States has sounded the departure of American troops from Afghanistan. Joe Biden said Wednesday, April 14, in a long-awaited speech, that “the United States will begin its final withdrawal on May 1”, but “will not leave in a rush”.

“American troops as well as the forces deployed by our NATO allies” will have “left Afghanistan before the 20th anniversary of these heinous attacks of September 11,” he added.

Stressing to be “the fourth American president to manage the American military presence in Afghanistan”, he promised not to transmit “this responsibility to a fifth”, deeming it futile to wait “to create the ideal conditions for a withdrawal”.

I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan.

I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth. pic.twitter.com/OpZK1Na5KP

— President Biden (@POTUS) April 14, 2021

“I think our presence in Afghanistan should be centred on why we went there in the first place: to make sure that Afghanistan does not serve as a base to attack our country again. That’s what we have. We have achieved this goal, =” said the Democratic president.

Without delay, the NATO allies announced on Wednesday their decision to begin the withdrawal of their forces by May 1 to complete it “in a few months”, according to a statement released by the Alliance a few minutes after the speech of Joe Biden.

“We will continue to support the Afghan government” but “we will not remain engaged militarily in Afghanistan,” he said. However, “our diplomatic and humanitarian work will continue” in the country, he stressed.