Despite severe criticism of his decision to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan that led to utter chaos in the war-ravaged country, US President Joe Biden has made it clear that he stands "squarely behind" his decision to pull out American army personnel from the Islamic nation.
After visuals of chaos dominated television news channels for days, Biden broke his silence on the US exit, blaming the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the refusal of the US-trained Afghan army to combat the militant group.
In a televised speech at the White House, Biden said, "I stand completely behind my decision."
"After 20 years, I've learned the hard way that withdrawing from the US military is never a wise idea," he added.
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He warned Taliban officials that if they interfered with the US exit, they would face "devastating force." Biden was forced to send additional US troops to Kabul in order to ensure the safe exit of American diplomats and civilians, as well as Afghan residents who collaborated with the US and could suffer retaliation.
The frantic evacuation, which came just weeks after Biden predicted that the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan was not inevitable, has tarnished America's image on the international stage at a time when Biden has been trying to persuade world leaders that "America is back" after former President Donald Trump's turbulent four years.
The withdrawal has also generated concerns that militant groups including Al-Qaeda may regroup under Taliban administration.
Biden called some of the scenes of chaos in Kabul "gut-wrenching," but said he held off on leaving because Afghan President Ashraf Ghani did not want a mass exodus. He said that the Taliban's haste in retaking the country surprised him as the US troops had assumed that the Afghan Army would either expel or hold extremist forces for months.
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Biden said “The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we anticipated. So what's happened? Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military gave up, sometimes without trying to fight.”
Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the country's High Council for National Reconciliation, were singled out for criticism by Biden, who said they had "flatly rebuffed" his proposal to seek a political settlement with the Taliban.
It's uncertain whether Biden will face a long-term political danger in Afghanistan. In most elections in the United States, foreign policy does not play a significant influence. Many Americans have backed Trump and Biden in their choice to leave Afghanistan, the country's longest conflict.
