US to Withdraw all Troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Wednesday, April 14, 2021. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Brussels on Wednesday for talks with European and NATO allies about Afghanistan, Ukraine and other matters. (Johanna Geron, Pool via AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Joe Biden is preparing to present his rationale for setting a hard deadline of Sept. 11 for U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. The White House says Biden will speak Wednesday afternoon about his vision for the way forward in Afghanistan, then visit the graves of American troops at Arlington National Cemetery who have died during the nearly 20-year war. Ahead of Biden’s remarks, U.S. officials say Biden plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan no later than Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. that were planned in Afghanistan by the militant group al-Qaida.

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