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US President Biden said the US mission to Afghanistan has been completed
Photo: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN / REUTERS
US President Joe Biden defended the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in the face of the advance of the radical Islamic Taliban.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States "achieved" its goals in the fight against terrorism in the Hindu Kush, Biden said in the White House on Thursday.
Now the Afghans have to "decide on their own future".
He emphasized: "Our military mission in Afghanistan will end on August 31."
Biden admitted that the militant Islamist Taliban are now stronger than ever since the fall of their regime at the end of 2001. However, a takeover by the Taliban is “not inevitable”.
The US President pointed out that the Afghan security forces were well equipped.
The operation has been going on for almost 20 years, says Biden. "I'm not going to send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan." Outraged, Biden denied the question of whether the United States would be responsible for civilian casualties in the event of a Taliban takeover or a civil war. He rejected parallels to the US defeat in the Vietnam War. Biden called on the political leaders in Afghanistan to unite and to come to an agreement with the Taliban.
In April, Biden announced that all US soldiers would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 - the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the USA in 2001 - at the latest.
His spokeswoman Jen Psaki then spoke of "the end of August" last week, now Biden specifically mentioned August 31.
He said the operation had two goals: to bring Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden "to the gates of hell" and to deprive the terror network of the ability to attack the United States from Afghanistan.
"We have achieved both of these goals." The US armed forces and secret services could also intervene in the future if Afghanistan again posed a terrorist threat to the US.
Observers fear the Taliban will take over power
The US armed forces have already withdrawn their last soldiers from the important base in Bagram.
The air force base, around 50 kilometers north of the Afghan capital Kabul, had served as the headquarters of the US armed forces in the country.
The last Bundeswehr soldiers left Afghanistan at the end of June.
Even after the end of the US military mission, according to the US Department of Defense, US troops will remain in Afghanistan to protect the US embassy and possibly also the airport in the capital Kabul.
The Washington Post reported that 650 to 1000 soldiers could be involved.
Observers fear that the Taliban could regain power in the country after the US and its NATO partners have completely withdrawn from Afghanistan.
The Islamists are already on the advance in many parts of the country and in some cases hardly encounter any resistance.
The advance of the Islamists also raises fears for the safety of thousands of Afghan translators and other aid workers who worked for the US armed forces.
Biden promised them and their families to join the United States on Thursday.
"You have a home in the United States," said the US President.
"We will stand by your side as you were by our side."
svs / dpa / AFP