Live Updates: Joe Biden Addresses U.S. on Afghanistan Evacuation, Taliban
President Joe Biden addressed the nation for a second time this week on the situation in Afghanistan as he faces increasing scrutiny and backlash for the Taliban's swift takeover. His remarks focused on ongoing evacuation efforts for remaining Americans and Afghans who assisted U.S. troops during the 20-year war.
Biden announced during the speech that the U.S. has evacuated 13,000 people from Afghanistan since Aug. 14, when the effort began, and 18,000 overall since July. Despite a "pause" in evacuation flights from the Kabul airport to "make sure we could process the arriving evacuees at the transit points," outbound flights have resumed departure, Biden said. He said that 5,700 people were evacuated on Thursday despite the temporary halt.
The U.S. was still attempting to confirm how many Americans were still in the country, Biden said. It is also unknown exactly how many Afghans who assisted the U.S., as well as their families, have yet to be evacuated from Afghanistan.
However, he made a pledge to not leave any Americans behind in Afghanistan and announced a similar commitment to the Afghan aides.
"We're going to do everything, everything that we can, to provide safe evacuation for our Afghan allies, partners and Afghans who might be targeted because of their association with the United States," he said.
Biden again defended the U.S. withdrawal during his address, stating that NATO allies and fellow leaders at the G7 Summit "knew and agreed with the decision I made to end — jointly end — our involvement in Afghanistan."
He also claimed that the situation in Afghanistan would be a "very different story" if the Afghan forces had "continued to fight" against the Taliban's campaign to gain control.
"But the overwhelming consensus was that they were not going to collapse-the Afghan forces. They were not going to leave. They were not going to just abandon and then put down their arms and take off," he said.
"So, that's what's happened," he concluded the press conference.
The live updates for this event have ended.
It Would Be a 'Very Different Story' If Afghan Forces 'Continued to Fight,' Biden Says
President Joe Biden said that the situation in Afghanistan would be a "very different story" if the Afghan forces had "continued to fight" against the Taliban's campaign to gain control.
"But the overwhelming consensus was that they were not going to collapse-the Afghan forces. They were not going to leave. They were not going to just abandon and then put down their arms and take off," he said.
"So, that's what's happened," he concluded the press conference.
'We've Got to Get You Out,' Biden Says to Afghan Aide Being Pursued by Taliban
When asked what he would say to an Afghan man who aided the U.S. during their occupation and is now being pursued by the Taliban, President Joe Biden responded that "we've got to get you out."
"We want you to be able to get to the airport. Contact us, we'll see whatever we can do to get you there. We are committed to deal with you, your wife, and your child to get all three of you out of Afghanistan. That's the commitment," he said.
Biden also said during his remarks that the U.S. was "considering every opportunity and every means by which we can get folks to the airport."
NATO Partners, Fellow G7 Leaders Agreed with U.S. Withdrawal, Biden Says
President Joe Biden said that when he met with other world leaders at the G7 Summit, as well as NATO Partners, they all supported his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
He said that he "told them all, every one of them knew and agreed with the decision I made to end — jointly end — our involvement in Afghanistan."
"This is about America leading the world, and all our allies have agreed with that," he said.
U.S. Couldn't Leave Afghanistan 'Without Some of What You're Seeing,' Biden Says
President Joe Biden said that there's "no way" the U.S. could carry out its withdrawal from Afghanistan "without some of what you're seeing," in reference to a swift takeover by the Taliban making many Afghans and remaining Americans desperate to flee the country.
"If we had decided 15 years ago to leave Afghanistan would have been really difficult, if we decided five years ago, if we continued the war for another decade and tried to leave," he said.
"But what we've done so far is we were able to get a large number of Americans out, all our personnel at the embassy out and so on. And thank God, so far, knock on wood, we're in a different position," he added.
U.S. Would Have Had to Send 'Significantly' More Troops if They Didn't Withdraw, Biden Says
President Joe Biden said that if he decided that the U.S. would be continuing to work in Afghanistan, he would have had to send in "significantly more American forces" to deal with Taliban forces already "taking large swaths of countryside."
"And for what? So, the only rational thing to do in my view was to setup and preposition American forces for the purpose of evacuation," he said.
Biden Commits to Evacuating Afghan Aides to the U.S. From the Country
When probed by a reporter to commit to evacuating Afghans who assisted in the war effort equally to evacuating the American people, President Joe Biden said "yes."
He said that there's nothing more important than evacuating American citizens, but the Afghans were "equally important almost" in their priorities.
"Now, I'm Focused on Getting This Job Done," Biden Says
President Joe Biden stated during public remarks Friday that he is "focused on getting this job done" as U.S. troops continue to assist the evacuation of Americans and Afghan refugees from the country.
He commended the work of the troops in securing the Kabul airport, saying that "they're performing to the highest standard under extraordinary difficult and dynamic circumstances."
He added that he communicates with commanders on the ground in Kabul frequently, and asked the American people to pray for the troops.
"It's time to end this war," he said.
'We Will Get You Home," Biden Promises Americans Still in Afghanistan
President Joe Biden made a promise Friday to Americans still in Afghanistan that "we will get you home" as the U.S. continues to evacuate personnel.
"As commander in chief, I can assure that that I will mobilize every resource necessary," he said.
It remains unclear how many Americans needing evacuation are still in the country.
U.S. Has Evacuated 13,000 People Since Aug. 14, Biden Says
President Joe Biden said during public remarks Wednesday that the U.S. has evacuated 13,000 people from Afghanistan since Aug. 14, when efforts began, and 18,000 since July.
"This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history," he said.
