In his approximately 20-minute address, President Biden:
- He defended his decision to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, saying that the goal of the US mission was never to create a new state. “Our mission in Afghanistan has never been to build a state. “It was never aimed at establishing a single centralized democracy” , Biden said, adding that the only goal “remains today and has always been to prevent terrorist attack on American soil “ .
- He said he did not regret his decision to end US military intervention in Afghanistan. “China and Russia would very much like the United States to be trapped in Afghanistan,” he said.
- However, he acknowledged that there were many violations in the US mission.
- He also acknowledged that Afghanistan had fallen to the Taliban “sooner than expected” , and said the United States had provided the Afghan army with “all possible options” to combat it. the Taliban. “We gave them every opportunity to determine their future,” he said, adding that American forces cannot and should not wage war and die. in a war in which Afghan forces do not want to fight “ .
- He stressed that he was not going to order US troops to continue fighting in the endless civil war.
“I know my decision will be criticized, but I will not blame another president,” he added. - However, he warned that the US reaction would change “if the Taliban strikes at our people.” “If necessary, the United States will defend its citizens by force,” he said.
In addition, President Biden:
- He called the closure of the US embassy and the dismissal of personnel a success, and promised that the United States would continue to support the safe evacuation of other allies in the coming days.
As soon as he finished his conversion, Biden was expected to return to Camp David, the country residence of American presidents.
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