The Biden administration has unveiled plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The move would end the longest war in U.S. history. Over the past 20 years, the war has killed more than 100,000 Afghan civilians, 2,300 U.S. servicemembers, and has cost the U.S. trillions of dollars. NATO forces are also expected to withdraw 7,000 troops by September 11. This is White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Press Secretary Jen Psaki: “The president has been consistent in his view that there’s not a military solution to Afghanistan, that we have been there for far too long.”
The White House announcement comes just over a week before the scheduled start of a new round of peace talks in Istanbul between the Taliban and the U.S.-backed Afghan government. But on Tuesday, the Taliban announced it would boycott the talks because Biden is reneging on a deal made by President Trump to have all U.S. troops out by May 1.