Staunchly defending his move to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden on Monday (local time) admitted that the situation in the war-torn country unfolded more quickly than America anticipated.
In his first address after Kabul fell to the Taliban and the Afghan government collapsed, Biden put the blame for the current situation on the Afghan leaders, saying they gave up and fled the country so the military collapsed.
"I stand squarely behind my decision. After 20 years I have learned the hard way that there was no good time to withdraw US forces and that's why we are still there," he said.
"We were clear-eyed about the risk. We planned for every contingency that this did unfold more quickly than we anticipated. Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country so the military collapsed," he added.
Afghanistan government collapsed earlier on Sunday with President Ashraf Ghani leaving the country and the Taliban's entry into the capital.
Taliban terrorists have assumed control of the Afghan capital of Kabul and have taken control of the presidential palace.
Biden remained at the Camp David presidential retreat with members of his family over the weekend as chaotic images from Kabul emerged. He returned to Washington today ahead of his address.
It will be his first time in six days speaking in public on the matter, which has become the most serious test of Biden's foreign policy since he took office.
Despite facing severe criticism for withdrawing American troops, the President has remained resolute in his decision.
At the same time, he has sent an additional 6,000 troops to the country to secure the airport, a sign of the complicated and contradictory process of winding down America's longest war.
As the Taliban claimed control over the Afghan capital, several countries evacuated diplomatic personnel from the country, and crowds of people flocked to the Kabul airport in an attempt to leave Afghanistan.
Reports suggest that the movement will soon proclaim the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
( With inputs from ANI )
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