ABC News
Biden defends Afghanistan withdrawal, recommits to evacuate remaining Americans
LIBBY CATHEY
Tue, August 31, 2021, 5:21 PM·6 min read
President Joe Biden, speaking to the nation Tuesday, gave his fiercest defense yet of his self-imposed deadline to withdraw the U.S. military from Afghanistan -- a day after the last troops left the country, bringing America's longest war to a close -- but only after a chaotic and deadly exit.
"Let me be clear, leaving August the 31st, is not due to an arbitrary deadline. It was designed to save American lives," a defiant Biden said, responding to harsh criticism both of his decision to leave and how it was handled.
After praising what he called the "extraordinary success" U.S. troops had in conducting the rushed and dangerous evacuation, he bluntly blamed both the Afghan army and the Afghan government for collapsing so quickly and the Trump administration for making a deal with the Taliban, that he said he inherited, that would have withdrawn all ground troops by May 1.
https://www.yahoo.com/gma/biden-defend-afghanistan-troop-withdrawal-163500487.html
