Biden: U.S. war in Afghanistan coming to an end
NEW YORK - President Joe Biden on Thursday said U.S. troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by the end of August, which is earlier than his prior plan to stay through Sept. 11.
"The United States did what we went to do in Afghanistan — to get the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 and to deliver justice to Osama bin Laden," Biden said. "We did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build. Afghan leaders have to come together and drive toward a future."
The president pushed back on calls from some Republicans to keep the U.S. military in Afghanistan as the Taliban makes rapid advances in significant swaths of the country, including at some key border crossings. The Taliban on Thursday took control of the Islam Qala crossing point in western Herat province on the border with Iran, according to an Afghan official and Iranian media.
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Biden said it is the "right and responsibility" of the Afghan people to decide how their country will function, and the impetus of the government to protect the nation's sovereignty.
The U.S. will continue to provide air support for Afghani military forces, along with humanitarian and civilian assistance on important issues surrounding women’s rights. But the administration is framing the drawdown as a decision Biden made after concluding this is an "unwinnable war" that "does not have a military solution."
The president doubled down on his decision not to leave a standing military force and posed the question, "How many thousands more of America's daughters and sons are you willing to risk? … How long would you have them stay?"
"I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome," Biden said.
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The conflict in Afghanistan is the longest-running war in the history of the United States. In 20 years, American and NATO forces trained more than 300,000 Afghan military and security personnel to help them combat the threat of the Taliban. Despite the training efforts and attempted peace deal by the U.S., the Taliban has gained control over at least 50 of the county's 370 districts, according to estimates.
"Do I trust the Taliban? No," Biden said. "But I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped and more competent in terms of conducting war."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. With Fox News and The Associated Press.