Saturday's statement by President Joe Biden was released from the White House. He blamed his decision to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban's land grab on the policies of Donald Trump.
According to a defense official, Biden stated in the statement that he would send additional 1,000 troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 1,000 troops already present in the country. This is in addition to the 3,000 troop surge he announced last Wednesday. Biden claimed that he had to make the decision because he was inheriting a difficult situation from his previous administration. He also said that Trump had made a deal in 2019 with the Taliban that placed them in a strong military position. Biden also criticised Trump's decision not to withdraw American troops from the country.
Biden stated in the statement that he had inherited a deal made by his predecessor. He invited the Taliban to Camp David to discuss the matter on the eve 9/11. The agreement left the Taliban in the most powerful position since 2001. It also imposed a May 1, 2020 deadline on U.S. forces. He also reduced the U.S. force to a minimum of 2,500 shortly before he left office.
TRUMP CONCLAIMS AFGHANISTAN WITHDRAWAL WOULD B 'MUCH MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL' WITH HE IN OFFICE
Biden stated that he would increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by 5,000, despite Trump and Biden previously working towards withdrawing the U.S. military presence from the country.
According to the president, he had to choose between honoring the agreement with Taliban under Trump's administration or strengthening the U.S. presence there.
He wrote that he faced two choices when he became president: he would either follow through with the agreement, with a short extension to get our forces out safely or increase our presence to send more American troops to fight in another country's civil war.
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Biden stated that he was committed to ending the war despite the increase in U.S. troops entering the country. He said, "I am the fourth President to have presided over an American troop presence at Afghanistan, two Republicans and two Democrats." I wouldn't, and will never, transfer this war to a fifth.
Trump has spoken out against Biden’s decision and called him weak and unable show strength effectively to face Taliban leaders. According to the former president, he had talks with top Taliban leaders and learned that what they are doing now was unacceptable.
He continued, "It would've been a much better and more successful withdrawal," he said.
Former President George W. Bush also criticized the Biden administration for its policies in Afghanistan.
The former Republican president stated last month that "I am afraid Afghan women will suffer unspeakable harm" once the troops leave Afghanistan. "It's amazing how this society has changed from the brutality and cruelty of the Taliban."
Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus described Friday's situation as an "enormous setback in national security."
"Those who made that choice have to accept it and the consequences thereof," he said to Rita Cosby, WABC, about Biden's plan to draw down troops. He added that the Afghan situation was "tragic, regrettable [and] frankly preventable."
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As part of a week-long offensive to seize land in Afghanistan, the Taliban have moved quickly. The Taliban had seized the second and third largest cities in Afghanistan by Friday. This prompted the Biden administration's call for the evacuation of the U.S Embassy in Kabul.
Biden last week announced his initial plan for sending 3,000 troops into Afghanistan. This number was increased by Saturday's announcement of 5,000 U.S. troops to the region.
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Tags: News White House, Afghanistan Joe Biden, Donald Trump National Security, Foreign Policy
Original Author: Timothy Nerozzi
Original Location: Biden sends 5,00 troops to Afghanistan. Trump blames for Taliban resurgence
