Biden defends US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, says Taliban's rise 'not inevitable'

United States President Joe Biden on July 8 backed the decision of troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and said that it was “not inevitable” that Kabul would fall to the Taliban as the extremist group rapidly gains on the ground. He confirmed that the US exit from Afghanistan would be completed by August 31. However, he also confessed that after nearly two decades of American forces tackling the Taliban in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, it was “highly unlikely” that Kabul would have been able to control the entire country. 

In a White House speech on Thursday, Biden stated that the US military has “achieved” its goals in Afghanistan including the killing of Osama bin Laden, degrading Al-Qaeda and further preventing more attacks on the US. He reiterated that US troop withdrawal implies the ending of “America’s longest war.” Earlier, the US President has set the deadline for retraction of the American military from Afghanistan as of September 11. Reportedly, Pentagon has also said that the exit is 90% done.

When asked if the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan is now inevitable since US troops are leaving the ground, Biden said, “the Afghan troops have 300,000 well-equipped...as well-equipped as any army in the world...and an air force against something like 75,000 Taliban.  It is not inevitable.” Earlier in his speech, the US President, “Nearly 20 years of experience has shown us that the current security situation only confirms that “just one more year” of fighting in Afghanistan is not a solution but a recipe for being there indefinitely.”

Taliban seize key Afghan border

While Biden defended his decision of troop withdrawal, the Taliban on Thursday seized another key Afghan border crossing. This time, it is with Iran, stated an Afghan official and Iranian media. The seizure of the third border crossing by the Taliban has increased as American troops complete their pullout. In just the past week, the extremist group has already taken over crossings with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Further, the Taliban wins in Afghanistan have caused some nations to close their consulates in the region.

IMAGE: AP