Returning from vacation, Biden plays blame game as Afghanistan falls

President Joe Biden, returning from vacation to give remarks Monday, deflected blame surrounding the Afghanistan debacle and asserted that his administration had “every contingency” in place in the event Kabul fell quickly.

The situation in Afghanistan rapidly deteriorated amid the U.S. withdrawal process, with the Taliban quickly taking over major cities throughout the region. The U.S. announced it was sending thousands troops back into Afghanistan to help with the evacuation process throughout the weekend after the Taliban took over in just more than one week.

The president, echoing talking points issued by the White House to Democrat lawmakers prior to Biden’s remarks, appeared to place blame on former President Donald Trump’s negotiations with the Taliban, the Afghan military and political leaders in the region. He returned to the White House on short notice, cutting his August vacation short to address the nation amid backlash over his handling of the situation.

“When I came into office, I inherited a deal that President Trump negotiated with the Taliban,” Biden said. “Under his agreement, U.S. forces would be out of Afghanistan by may 1, 2021, a few months after I took office. U.S. forces had drawn down from roughly 15,500 American forces to 2,500 troops in the country. The Taliban was at its strongest militarily since 2001. The choice I had to make as your president was either to follow through on that agreement or be prepared to go back to fighting the Taliban in the middle of the spring fighting season.”

“The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we anticipated,” Biden admitted before continuing to point fingers. “So what’s happened? Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military collapsed, sometimes without trying to fight. If anything, the developments of the past week reinforced the U.S.–Afghanistan removal was now and it’s the right decision.

WATCH:

Biden, answering critics’ question on the seemingly delayed response in getting allies out, claimed “some of the Afghans did not want to leave earlier.” He said this situation could have happened anytime in the past two decades and reminded Americans that he’s the fourth American president to overlook this war.

Biden admitted the scenes on the ground in Afghanistan amid the turmoil has been “gut-wrenching” to watch. He said the administration “will continue to support the Afghan people” and plans to “continue to speak out for the basic rights of the Afghan people.”

The president also detailed the “current mission in Afghanistan,” which includes evacuating Afghan allies. He said the plan is to “transport out thousands of American citizens” out of Afghanistan “in the coming days” and touted his “Operation Allies Refuge” plan, which the administration announced in July as they tried to help special immigrant visa applicants leave the country.

“I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little bit more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference. I’m deeply saddened by the facts we now must face, but I do not regret my decision,” Biden declared, taking no questions from the press after his speech.

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases