Biden says US Military Mission in Afghanistan will end on August 31

Joe Biden

President Joe Biden on Thursday said the US military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31, saying “speed is safety” as the United States seeks to end the nearly 20-year war. Biden also amplified the justification of his decision to end US military operations even as the Taliban make rapid advances in significant swaths of the country.

The effort to further explain his thinking on Afghanistan comes as the administration in recent days has repeatedly sought to frame ending the conflict as a decision that Biden made after concluding it’s an “unwinnable war” and one that “does not have a military solution.” How many more, how many more thousands of American daughters and sons are you willing to risk? Biden said to those calling for the U.S. to extend the military operation. Biden said it was “highly unlikely” that one government will control Afghanistan after the US pullout, and urged the Afghan government to reach a deal with the Taliban. The president added that there is no “mission accomplished” moment as the US war comes to an end. “The mission was accomplished in that we got Osama bin Laden and terrorism is not emanating from that part of the world,” he said. President Joe Biden on Thursday said the US military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31, saying “speed is safety” as the United States seeks to end the nearly 20-year war.