Afghanistan, Biden: “Impossible US withdrawal without chaos”

There was no way for the United States to withdraw from Afghanistan, now controlled by the Taliban, without chaos ensuing. US president Joe Biden said this in an interview with ABC News, answering questions from George Stephanopoulos. Biden returns to Afghanistan after his speech a few days ago, with a conference in which he did not answer any questions from the press. Read also “Would it have been possible to manage the withdrawal in a better way, without errors?”, Asks the interviewer. “I don’t think it could have been handled in a way … The idea that somehow there is a way out without causing chaos, I don’t know how that can happen.” “So, for you, this was always considered in the decision?” Asks Stephanopoulos. “Yes,” Biden replies. “One of the things we don’t know is what the Taliban will do” in regards to “preventing people from leaving” the country. “What are they doing now? They are cooperating, allowing American citizens to go out, American personnel to go out and embassies to evacuate. But we are having more difficulty with those who helped us when we were there.” The journalist urges the president about the images that have traveled around the world. “We’ve all seen the images. We’ve seen hundreds of people crammed into a C-17. We’ve seen Afghans fall” from a plane that took off. “It was 4 days ago, 5 days ago!”, Biden says, referring to images released on Monday. “What did he think when he saw the photos? ” Asks Stephanopoulos.” I thought we had to get control of all this again. We had to proceed faster, we had to proceed in order to regain control of that airport. And we did it. “” When you look at what happened in the last week – the reporter insists – was it a failure of intelligence, planning, execution or judgment? “.” Was it a failure of intelligence, planning, execution or judgment? ” simple choice, George, “says Biden.” When the government of Afghanistan and the leader of that government get on a plane and go to another country, when you see the massive collapse of the Afghan troops we have trained, up to 300,000 men, with the abandonment of the equipment and the escape … This is what happened. This is simply what happened. And the key question at the beginning was: do we leave on schedule, do we postpone until September 1st, or do we send a significant number of other soldiers? “” I hear someone say ‘you had 2,500 men there and nothing happened. Nothing happened because the last president a year ago had negotiated the withdrawal by May 1st and in exchange there would be no attacks on American forces. That’s why nothing happened. I found myself faced with a simple choice. If I had said ‘let’s stay’, we had better prepare to send many more soldiers. “American soldiers should leave Afghanistan by August 31. The deadline could be postponed if there are still American citizens to evacuate in the country.” everything possible to take out American citizens and our allies. “If necessary, will the soldiers stay beyond August 31?” It depends on where we are and if we can bring evacuations to 7,000 a day. In that case, they will all be out of “Afghanistan. There are 10-15,000 Americans in the country.” There are between 50,000 and 65,000, including family members, “the Afghans Washington considers allies. Does that apply to them too?” it’s taking out everyone we can get out and who should get out. This is the goal, this is what we are doing. This is the process and I think we will make it. “Do the Americans have to understand that the soldiers could stay after August 31?” No, the Americans must understand that we are trying to do everything by August 31. If we fail, we will see at the moment who is left and if there are American citizens we will stay until everyone is gone. “