President Joe Biden addressed the nation Monday afternoon, explaining many details most Americans likely have never before heard about the war in Afghanistan, after that nation fell to the Taliban far sooner than most experts expected.
But President Biden made clear he stood "squarely" behind his decision to carry out the agreement then-President Donald Trump made, which ordered U.S. troops to exit Afghanistan in full by May 1.
Pres. Biden addresses nation on Afghanistan following rapid Taliban advances: "I stand squarely behind my decision." https://t.co/f4cYEyMjRU pic.twitter.com/f1sLYFlySK
— ABC News (@ABC) August 16, 2021
The President made clear Afghanistan fell so quickly because, after investing $1 trillion in that country, the 300,000 fighting forces of the Afghan military – a number larger than the militaries of some NATO countries, decided they did not want to fight the Taliban.
President Biden: “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves." https://t.co/1iwS8Qcw4z pic.twitter.com/801haF1xwY
— ABC News (@ABC) August 16, 2021
And President Biden asked pointedly, “How many more generations of American daughters and sons would you have me send to fight when the Afghans would not?"
"How many more generations of America's daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghanistan's civil war, when Afghan troops will not? ... I will not repeat the mistakes we made in the past" -- President Biden pic.twitter.com/yNONKkJLk5
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) August 16, 2021
