Chaos erupted at Kabul’s airport as thousands of Afghans were left uncertain of their safety and livelihood after Taliban forces in Afghanistan occupied the capital city.
President Biden addressed the sudden collapse of the government the U.S. had spent 20 years supporting, and he acknowledged that it all unraveled quicker than he had anticipated. But he didn’t apologize for making the decision to withdraw all U.S. troops by Sept. 11 — the 2oth anniversary of 9/11.
He said he would take the criticism of people who see the operation as poorly planned, invoking President Harry Truman’s line “the buck stops here.” Biden said staying longer wouldn’t have helped and he wouldn’t pass the conflict along to a fifth president.
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