Biden Strongly Defends the Way the U.S. Exited Afghanistan in TV Speech
President Joe Biden speaks about the end of the war in Afghanistan from the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Addressing the nation on national TV this afternoon, President Joe Biden is defending the way the U.S. ended its 20-year “forever war” in Afghanistan.
He called the military airlift to extract some 120,000 Afghans, Americans and other allies an “extraordinary success.”
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More than 100 Americans and thousands of Afghans were left behind, but Biden said diplomatic and other efforts would continue to get them out.
His speech from the White House came 24 hours after the departure of the last American aircraft from Kabul. He said, in his words, “I was not going to extend this forever war. And I was not going to extend a forever exit.”
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