On Monday, the national security adviser of the White House acknowledged that the situation in Afghanistan escalated at an unexpected rate. The adviser furthermore maintained that Biden stands by his previous decision of withdrawing U.S. troops.
WH national security adviser defended Biden’s decision
On Sunday, heavily armed Taliban insurgents swept the capital of Afghanistan after the government fell and the Afghan president fled the country; this indicated the end of the 20-year effort made by the United States in rebuilding the nation.
The fall of Afghanistan happened swiftly after Biden decided to withdraw the U.S. troops from the region. Meanwhile, Jake Sullivan, national security adviser of the White House, defended the decision made by Biden in an interview with ABC News.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says Pres. Biden stands by his decision to pull out of Afghanistan:
“Should U.S. men and women be put into the middle of another country’s civil war when their own army won’t fight to defend them? And his answer to that question was no.” pic.twitter.com/f31QIfuARG
— The Recount (@therecount) August 16, 2021
Sullivan stated that Biden thought the national security forces of Afghanistan could step up and fight for themselves, adding that Biden did not think the Taliban would take control of Afghanistan.
The national security adviser of the White House also emphasized that the U.S. spent 20 years and billions of dollars in training the Afghan forces, providing them with the best tools.
Sullivan later claimed that the Afghan forces “decided” not to fight for their country and step up. He added that Biden faced a difficult question on whether or not Americans should be in the middle of another civil war in Afghanistan when their own forces don’t fight to protect themselves.
Biden’s answer was “no” and that is why the president stands by his decision to withdraw U.S. troops.
The fall of Afghanistan escalated faster than the Biden administration anticipated
The Taliban insurgents are invading the cities of Afghanistan in order to bring back the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan; this is the previous name used by the country under the control of the Taliban before they were removed by U.S.-led forces after the 9/11 attacks.
Meanwhile, on Monday, thousands of people rushed into the tarmac in Hamid Karzai International Airport; they made desperate attempts to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban forces overthrew the government.
This is a damning image for the Biden administration, and underscores the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis on the ground. It is unconscionable that the United States president is nowhere to be found.
Mr. President – Do your job and address the nation. pic.twitter.com/tTreEIgL3Y
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) August 16, 2021
Last week, as the Taliban insurgents invaded major provinces in the country, the Biden administration predicted that Kabul, the nation’s capital, could fall within the next 90 days. A CIA assessment also predicted that the capital could fall in six months.
However, on Monday morning, Sullivan acknowledged the fact that the deteriorating situation in Kabul intensified faster than what the Biden administration anticipated.
Sullivan also explained they have various contingency plans. One of those is to secure the airport in order to aid evacuation.
He also claimed that the Biden administration has already successfully evacuated the U.S. embassy in Kabul, adding that they were able to move all of the American personnel to either the airport or out of the country.
