Biden defends US pullout from Afghanistan as Taliban celebrate
01 September, 2021
President Joe Biden on Tuesday (Aug 31) mounted a fierce defence of his exit from Afghanistan as the "best decision for America", the day after the US military withdrawal celebrated by the Taliban as a major victory.
"This is the right decision. A wise decision. And the best decision for America," Biden said in an address to the nation in Washington, after he stuck to an Aug 31 deadline to end two decades of bloodshed that began and ended with the hardliners in power.
He spoke after the United Nations warned of a looming "humanitarian catastrophe" in Afghanistan, underscoring the daunting challenges that the victorious Taliban face as they transform from insurgent group to governing power.
For America, Biden argued, the only choice in Afghanistan was "leaving or escalating."
And the president, whose critics have savaged him for his handling of the withdrawal, said the frenzied airlift - which saw the United States and its allies fly more than 120,000 people fleeing the new Taliban regime out of Afghanistan - was an "extraordinary success".
"No nation has ever done anything like it in all of history; only the United States had the capacity and the will and ability to do it," he said.
The Taliban also saw the airlift as a success: a mark of their astonishing comeback and defeat of a global superpower.
"Congratulations to Afghanistan ... this victory belongs to us all," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters hours later on the airport runway.
Mujahid said the Taliban's victory was a "lesson for other invaders".
In Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the movement and the country's second-largest city, thousands of celebrating supporters swept onto the streets.
'DARKEST HOUR'
All eyes will now turn to how the Taliban handle their first few days with sole authority over the country, with a sharp focus on whether they will allow free departure for those wanting to leave - including some foreigners.
The US has said that "under 200" of its citizens remained in the country, and Britain said the number of UK nationals inside was in the "low hundreds."
Thousands of Afghans who worked with the US-backed government over the years and fear retribution also want to get out.
Talks are ongoing as to who will now run Kabul airport, which German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned was of "existential importance" as a lifeline for aid.
Many Afghans are terrified of a repeat of the Taliban's initial rule from 1996-2001, which was infamous for their treatment of women and girls, as well as a brutal justice system.
The group has repeatedly promised a more tolerant brand of governance compared with their first stint in power, and Mujahid persisted with that theme.
"We want to have good relations with the US and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all," he said.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
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