Do not regret, says US President Joe Biden on his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan as Taliban advances

File Photo (Reuters)

New Delhi: Amid multiple cities in Afghanistan falling to the Taliban insurgents, United States President Joe Biden on Tuesday (August 10, 2021) said that he doesn't regret his decision to withdraw US troops from the war-torn country. 

On being asked by reporters at the White House if his current plan to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan has 'changed' at all as Afghan forces cannot hold ground there, Biden said, "No. Look, we spent over a trillion dollars over 20 years. We trained and equipped with modern equipment over 3,00,000 Afghan forces.  And Afghan leaders have to come together." 

He added, "We lost thousands — lost to death and injury — thousands of American personnel.  They've got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation."

Biden said that the United States will continue to keep the commitments of providing close air support, making sure that their air force functions and is operable, resupplying their forces with food and equipment, and paying all their salaries.  

"But they've got to want to fight. They have outnumbered the Taliban," he said.

"I think they're beginning to realize they've got to come together politically at the top and — but we're going to continue to keep our commitment. But I do not regret my decision," Biden said. 

Biden's comments came amid Taliban insurgents tightening their grip on captured Afghan territory and now controlling 65% of the country. Pul-e-Khumri, capital of the northern province of Baghlan, reportedly fell to the Taliban on Tuesday and became the seventh regional capital to come under the control of the Taliban insurgents in about a week.

Biden in April this year had decided to withdraw the remaining US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, two decades to the day after al Qaeda's attacks triggered America's longest war.