14:20
Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 has sparked some criticism within his own party.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the foreign relations committee, said yesterday she was “very disappointed” by the decision.
“Although this decision was made in coordination with our allies, the U.S. has sacrificed too much to bring stability to Afghanistan to leave without verifiable assurances of a secure future,” the New Hampshire senator said in a statement. “It undermines our commitment to the Afghan people, particularly Afghan women.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
(@SenatorShaheen)I’m very disappointed in @POTUS‘ decision to set a Sept. deadline to walk away from Afghanistan. Although this decision was made in coordination w/our allies, the U.S. has sacrificed too much to bring stability to Afghanistan to leave w/o verifiable assurances of a secure future. https://t.co/OfHx3cmJX1
Republicans were much more direct with their criticism of the troop withdrawal decision, with Senator Lindsey Graham calling the strategy “dumber than dirt and devilishly dangerous”.
Lindsey Graham
(@LindseyGrahamSC)If reports are accurate that President Biden is withdrawing all forces from Afghanistan by September of this year, it is a disaster in the making.
A full withdrawal from #Afghanistan is so irresponsible, it makes the Biden Administration policies at the border look sound. pic.twitter.com/TjtGV7dCTY
It’s worth noting Graham previously expressed some support for Donald Trump’s decision to draw down US troops in Afghanistan, although the senator has consistently said he would still want there to be some American presence in the country.
Amid peace talks with the Taliban last year, Graham, a close Trump ally, said he would “support any reasonable effort to negotiate an end to the war in Afghanistan”.
He added, “However, any peace agreement must be sustainable, honorable and include protections for the American homeland against international terrorist organisations that are alive and well in Afghanistan.”
14:02
Biden to announce deadline for US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Joe Biden will deliver a speech this afternoon laying out the US military’s path forward in Afghanistan.
The president is expected to announce he will withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11 of this year, which will mark the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
The news means Biden will miss the May 1 withdrawal deadline established by the Trump administration, although the drawdown of troops is expected to begin in May.
As of now, about 2,500 US troops remain in Afghanistan, as well as 7,000 other foreign troops from the Nato coalition, most of whom will also leave the country by September.
“We will remain in lockstep with them as we undergo this operation,” a senior Biden administration official said yesterday. “We went in together, adjusted together and now we will prepare to leave together.”
The withdrawal decision has received some criticism from lawmakers in both parties, with several saying the troops’ departure will leave Afghan people, particularly women, vulnerable to human rights abuses.
Speaking about a potential troop withdrawal last year, Biden said he would not bear responsibility for the repercussions of the US withdrawal on Afghan people.
Biden said at the time, “The responsibility I have is to protect America’s national self-interests and not put our women and men in harm’s way to try to solve every single problem in the world by use of force.”