McKenzie, in a June interview with the Military Times, said that “left unmolested are certainly going to rebuild, restrengthen themselves, and we have no reason to doubt they…want to attack us in our homeland.”Īt a Senate hearing on June 17, Sen. 17, the IG’s office said “it was unclear whether the Taliban was in compliance with the agreement, as members of al-Qaeda were integrated into the Taliban’s leadership and command structure.” Central Command (USCENTCOM), said in June that the conditions for a full withdrawal, including a significant reduction in violence and a guarantee not to harbor al-Qaeda, had not yet been met.” The report went on to say, “General Kenneth F. officials reported that the Taliban continued to support al-Qaeda, and conducted joint attacks with al-Qaeda members against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.” “The Taliban did not appear to uphold its commitment to distance itself from terrorist organizations in Afghanistan,” the report said. The report noted that in the pact the Taliban “agreed to participate in negotiations with the Afghan government and ‘not allow any of its members, other individuals or groups, including, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.'” Photo by Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images. In the East Room of the White House, President Biden answers questions about the ongoing U.S. 16, when he has said the terrorist group has been “degraded.”Īs we wrote earlier this week, the lead inspector general for the Defense Department wrote in a quarterly report to Congress that covered activity in Afghanistan from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020, that the Taliban and al-Qaeda have been conducting “joint attacks” in Afghanistan in apparent violation of the February 2020 withdrawal agreement with the United States. The president has gotten it right on other occasions, including in his remarks to the nation on Aug. “What interest do we have in Afghanistan at this point with al Qaeda gone?” he asked.īut al Qaeda is not “gone” from Afghanistan. 20 press conference, Biden questioned why the U.S. Here we look at some of the president’s remarks and how they square with the facts - as we know them at this point. withdrawal that preceded the swift fall of the Afghan government. 15, President Joe Biden has delivered speeches and given interviews to defend his administration’s handling of the U.S. Michael Waltz, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said Thursday it was encouraging to see the Biden administration focus on those visas.Since the Taliban seized control of the Afghanistan capital Kabul on Aug. The House passed a bill last month to streamline one part of the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa application process, but it’s unclear what Congress could do with approximately 18,000 people in line and only a few weeks remaining.įlorida Republican Rep. if you so choose, and we will stand with you as you stood with us,” Biden said. military and allowed the Taliban to regain control of large swaths of the country.īiden, speaking from the White House, said he would work with Congress to speed the evacuation of those Afghans who helped during the two-decade long war, as pressure mounts to evacuate them and their families amid the withdrawal. President Joe Biden on Thursday defended the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which faces mounting criticism it has endangered Afghan nationals who worked with the U.S.
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