US President Joe Biden has finally made his first speech since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan that he stands by his decision to withdraw American troops from the country.
During his 15-minute-long speech, Joe Biden said, “I am the President of the USA and the buck stops with me.” Biden said he stands by his decision to withdraw American troops from the war-torn country after twenty years.
He said he had to choose between sticking to a previously negotiated agreement to withdraw US troops this year or sending thousands of more service members back into Afghanistan to fight a ‘third decade’ of war. Biden said he had inherited the deal struck by former President Donald Trump with the Taliban.
Read more: Will Joe Biden’s govt restore US credibility in Asia?
Biden said he had rather take the current criticism than pass the issue on to a fifth US president. He said it’s time to end the USA’s longest war after twenty years and that this was the right decision for his nation.
During his speech, Joe Biden admitted, “I always promised Americans that I’ll be straight with them. The truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we anticipated, even though we planned for every contingency.” He acknowledged the ‘gut-wrenching’ images that were coming out of Afghanistan and said that the misery was deeply personal.
