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Afghanistan
China

Joe Biden, in speech on Afghanistan’s rapid fall, defends his decision on US exit

  • ‘After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces. I am president of the United States. The buck stops with me’
  • US and Chinese diplomats speak about efforts to bring their citizens who remain in Afghanistan to safety

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US President Joe Biden speaks about the situation in Afghanistan from the East Room of the White House on Monday. Photo: AP
Mark Magnierin New York
US President Joe Biden acknowledged the unfolding humanitarian and political crisis in Afghanistan on Monday but justified his decision to order a rapid military withdrawal while warning the Taliban not to interfere with the evacuation.

“I do not regret my decision,” Biden said in an address from the White House. “This is not in our national security interest. It is not what the Americans people want. It is not what our troops who have sacrificed so much over the past two decades deserve.”

“After 20 years, I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw US forces,” he added.

Biden said the US embassy in Kabul has been closed, diplomats transferred to the airport and plans were in place to transport thousands of Americans out of the country.

“We’ve made it clear to the Taliban, if they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the US presence will be swift and the response will be swift and forceful. We’ll defend our people with devastating force if necessary.”

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