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President Biden addressed the nation on Aug. 31 on the end of the 20-year war in Afghanistan. (Video: The Washington Post)

Biden defends U.S. departure, saying ‘It was time to end this war’

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President Biden on Tuesday defended the U.S. evacuation effort in Afghanistan, which was capped with the Taliban taking control of the Kabul airport after the last American military flight left the country.  
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The White House said that officials are still in touch with Americans who have remained in Afghanistan and would be available to assist them if they wanted to leave.
Celebrating the completion of the U.S. departure from Afghanistan, Taliban supporters gathered to hold a mock funeral procession alongside makeshift coffins draped in American flags, Reuters reported.
A recent survey showed divided views on U.S. troop withdrawal. Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults said the decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan was the right one, while 42 percent say it was the wrong decision, a recent Pew Research Center report showed.
The United States will maintain “robust counterterrorism capabilities” in the region, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. There is broad skepticism that the Taliban will keep its promise to stop the country from serving as a breeding ground for groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, whose local affiliate killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 civilians outside Kabul airport last week.
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The White House said that officials are still in touch with Americans who have remained in Afghanistan and would be available to assist them if they wanted to leave.
Celebrating the completion of the U.S. departure from Afghanistan, Taliban supporters gathered to hold a mock funeral procession alongside makeshift coffins draped in American flags, Reuters reported.
A recent survey showed divided views on U.S. troop withdrawal. Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults said the decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan was the right one, while 42 percent say it was the wrong decision, a recent Pew Research Center report showed.
The United States will maintain “robust counterterrorism capabilities” in the region, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken. There is broad skepticism that the Taliban will keep its promise to stop the country from serving as a breeding ground for groups such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, whose local affiliate killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 civilians outside Kabul airport last week.
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