Biden: "No Point in Keeping More US Troops in Afghanistan... Withdrawal Complete by End of August"

"Their country’s defense is their own responsibility"
Taliban begins siege of Kabul... Attack expected after U.S. troop withdrawal

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden has actively defended the policy of withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, stating that the withdrawal of U.S. forces will be completed by the end of next month. President Biden emphasized his confidence in the capabilities of the Afghan government forces, but the Taliban has already taken control of most major areas in Afghanistan, and it is expected that they will launch a large-scale attack on the capital Kabul once the U.S. military withdrawal is complete.

On the 8th (local time), during a briefing at the White House regarding the situation of the Afghanistan withdrawal, President Biden said, "No matter how many U.S. troops remain stationed, there is nothing more the U.S. military can do in Afghanistan," adding, "The U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will end on August 31, and it is now up to them to defend their own country." He continued, "The U.S. military went to Afghanistan not for nation-building, but to eliminate Osama bin Laden, the leader of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, and to dismantle al-Qaeda's capabilities. The U.S. military has already achieved both objectives."

Additionally, President Biden stressed the urgency of withdrawing from Afghanistan, stating that more focus should be placed on responding to new strategic competitors such as China and Russia. He said, "U.S. resources must now be concentrated elsewhere," and added, "We cannot afford to be tied to policies from 20 years ago and must respond to new threats."

Addressing comparisons made by some in the U.S. political sphere between the Afghanistan withdrawal and the U.S. defeat in the Vietnam War, he emphasized, "The Taliban is not North Vietnam," and expressed trust in the capabilities of the Afghan forces. He further stated, "The Taliban is currently the strongest militarily since the war began in 2001, but the Afghan forces have a much larger army and air force," and mentioned, "The possibility of the Taliban taking control of the entire country is very low."

However, contrary to President Biden's remarks, Afghan government forces are being pushed back by Taliban forces in various locations. According to foreign media such as CNN, the Taliban has taken control of more than half of Afghanistan and is reportedly preparing a siege operation around the capital Kabul. A large-scale offensive on Kabul is expected once the U.S. military withdrawal is complete.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the withdrawal of U.S. troops is currently more than 90% complete, and with the recent completion of the withdrawal from Bagram Airfield, the largest military base in Afghanistan, at the end of last month, the process has effectively entered its final stage.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.