President Joe Biden has said that he does not regret his decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan.
“We spent over $1 trillion over 20 years. We trained and equipped with modern equipment over 300,000 Afghan forces,” Biden said at a news conference. “And Afghan leaders have to come together. We lost thousands, we lost to death and injury, thousands of American personnel.”
I think they’re beginning to realize they’ve got to come together politically at the top,” the president said. “But we’re going to continue to keep our commitment. But I do not regret my decision.”
The U.S President has said that Washington will uphold its promise of supplying air support, food, and other resources. The government has also committed to providing salaries for the Afghan forces.
Critics of Biden’s decision have expressed concern over the possibility of a full Taliban takeover once American troops withdraw. However, the President has said that the Afghan forces have “to fight for themselves” and “fight for their nation.”
Violence has escalated throughout the country as U.S forces withdraw after 20 years of involvement within the region. The U.S military mission in Afghanistan is set to conclude on the 31st of August.
Over the weekend, the Taliban have taken over eight of the country’s 34 provincial capitals, and are not planning to slow down. Reports from the Washington Post claim that based on U.S military assessments, Kabul could fall to the Taliban in just 90 days.
The UN reports that more than 1000 civilians have been killed amid fierce fighting between the Taliban and government forces this past month.
UNICEF also warned recently that atrocities being committed against children were increasing every day.
“We saw bodies lying near the prison… there were dogs next to them,” one woman who left the provincial capital of Kunduz as the Taliban took control told the AFP news agency.
“People are opening their shops and businesses, but you can still see fear in their eyes,” one said.
The Taliban have rejected international calls for a ceasefire.
