Biden: "Preventing Challenges from China and Russia and Nuclear Proliferation More Important Than Afghanistan"…Defends Troop Withdrawal Decision (Summary)

"The world is changing... We must not be trapped in Afghanistan"
"No more major military operations for rebuilding other countries"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. President Joe Biden, in a national address, defended the legitimacy of the withdrawal from Afghanistan and emphasized that the United States must enhance its responsiveness to current challenges such as China and Russia's provocations and nuclear proliferation. This is interpreted as a commitment to uphold the existing foreign policy strategy focusing on exit strategies in the Middle East and countering China in East Asia, despite declining trust in foreign policy and worsening public opinion centered on the Afghanistan situation.

On the 31st (local time), President Biden stated in his national address at the White House that the decision to withdraw from Afghanistan was "the best decision," emphasizing, "What we need to understand is that the world is changing, and we are engaged in serious competition with China." He continued, "The challenges of the new era include China and Russia, nuclear proliferation, and cyberattacks," explaining, "China and Russia would be most pleased if the U.S. remained stuck in Afghanistan for another 10 years."

President Biden said, "I want to ask those who call for the continuation of the Afghanistan war: What are America's core interests? My answer is just one: to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used to attack the U.S. homeland." He pointed out, "It is time to be honest about the Afghanistan war. Over 2,461 Americans have sacrificed their lives, and more than $2 trillion (about 2,315 trillion won) has been spent, but there was no clear objective."

He emphasized, "Above all, we must set missions with clear and achievable goals, focusing clearly on America's core national security interests," adding, "The decision to withdraw does not only pertain to Afghanistan. It means the era of major U.S. military operations for rebuilding other countries is over."

Regarding the evacuation operation, which has been criticized domestically and internationally, President Biden praised it as a "great success," stating, "90% of Americans who wanted to evacuate were able to do so. We will do our best to support the evacuation of the remaining Americans." However, about 200 Americans and thousands of local allies are still unable to evacuate.

Nonetheless, President Biden stressed that retaliation against the Islamic State (IS) affiliate IS Khorasan (ISK), which carried out the suicide bombing at Kabul airport on the 26th, will continue. President Biden said, "It is not over," and vowed, "We will never forget the 13 U.S. soldiers who were victims of the terror attack."

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