WASHINGTON (AP) â President Joe Biden said Thursday the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan will end on Aug. 31, delivering an impassioned argument for exiting the nearly 20-year war without sacrificing more American lives even as he bluntly acknowledged there will be no âmission accomplishedâ moment to celebrate.
Biden pushed back against the notion the U.S. mission has failed but also noted that it remains unlikely the government would control all of Afghanistan after the U.S. leaves. He urged the Afghan government and Taliban, which he said remains as formidable as it did before the start of the war, to come to a peace agreement.
We did not go to Afghanistan to nation build, Biden said in a speech from the White House’s East Room. Afghan leaders have to come together and drive toward a future.
The administration in recent days has sought to frame ending the conflict as a decision that Biden made after concluding it’s an unwinnable war and one that does not have a military solution. On Thursday he amplified the justification of his decision even as the Taliban make rapid advances in significant swaths of the country. How many more, how many more thousands of American daughters and sons are you willing to risk? Biden said to those calling for the U.S. to extend the military operation. He added, I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan, with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome.
Today
Some sun in the morning with increasing clouds during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 94F. NNW winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph..
Tonight
Some clouds early will give way to generally clear conditions overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 63F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph, becoming NNW and increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Updated: July 9, 2021 @ 12:10 am
WASHINGTON
President Joe Biden says the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan will end on Aug. 31, delivering an impassioned argument for exiting the nearly 20-year war without sacrificing more American lives even as he bluntly acknowledged there will be no “mission accomplished” moment to celebrate.
Biden pushed back against the notion the U.S. mission has failed but also noted that it remains unlikely the government would control all of Afghanistan after the U.S. leaves. He urged the Afghan government and Taliban, which he said remains as formidable as it did before the start of the war, to come to a peace agreement.