President Biden Says He Doesn't Regret Afghanistan Withdrawal
Remarks come as Taliban captures more provincial capitals
President Biden said that he doesn't regret ordering the full withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, despite the sudden and startling gains in territory made by the hardline Taliban.
“Look, we spent over a trillion dollars, over 20 years. We trained, and equipped with modern equipment, over 300,000 Afghan forces. Afghan leaders have to come together. We lost thousands — to death and injury — thousands of American personnel,” Biden said at the White House Tuesday, in response to a reporter's query.
The Afghan people “have got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation,” Biden added.
US forces first entered Afghanistan in 2002, in response to the September 11, 2001, attacks. The Taliban, which were ruling Afghanistan at the time, were offering the plotters of the attacks save haven.
US troops have been stationed in Afghanistan ever since, up until they began their withdrawal.
The Taliban, who have not respected general civil or human rights, have been capturing a surprising amount of Afghan territory since US forces have departed — including such provincial capitals as Puli Khumri, a strategically important city on the route to Kabul.
The United States will continue to maintain its commitments to the Afghan government, Biden said, including provision of close-air support for Afghan ground troops, maintaining the Afghan air force, resupplying Afghan troops with food and equipment, as well as paying their salaries.
“But they've got to want to fight — they outnumber the Taliban,” the president said.
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