Biden stands by decision to withdraw from Afghanistan as Taliban take Kabul

Pushing back against criticism of his decision to pull out from Afghanistan even in the face of Taliban sweep of the country, President Joe Biden said he stands by his judgment on ending the longest war in American history.

In a televised address to the nation following the Taliban takeover of Kabul, Biden questioned the rationale of fighting endlessly, when the Afghan forces are not doing so for their country, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the capital and Afghan leaders failed to resolve the internal conflict politically.

“I stand squarely behind my decision,” the president declared.

Biden pointed out that the war in Afghanistan continued under four presidents with a lot of missteps.

“After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw,” he said, arguing that even if the U.S. forces were to stay in Afghanistan for several more years, it would not be productive.

Biden has faced criticism from the Republicans over his administration’s planning on pullout from Afghanistan as well the decision to end the war without clear results.

But the president said if anything the events in Afghanistan prove that now is the best time for the U.S. to leave the country.

“How many more lives—American lives—is it worth? How many endless rows of headstones at Arlington National Cemetery?” Biden questioned.

He said the U.S. has clearly told the Taliban not to interfere with the American pullout of its diplomats and vulnerable Afghans from Kabul. Anything to obstruct the pullout, he said, would meet a stern response.

The U.S. has deployed 6,000 troops to airlift American diplomats from Kabul, which has seen scenes of chaos in the city and the airport, being operated under U.S. control.