PRESIDENT Joe Biden will declare on Wednesday he plans to end the longest U.S. war and that it is “time for American troops to come home” from Afghanistan, looking to close the book on 20 years of U.S. military involvement there even as critics warn that peace is not assured.
“We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago,” Biden will say, according to excerpts of his speech released by the White House. “That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.”
Biden is set to announce in a speech scheduled for 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT) at the White House that all 2,500 U.S. troops remaining in Afghanistan will be withdrawn no later than Sept. 11. By pulling out without a clear victory, the United States opens itself to criticism that a withdrawal represents a de facto admission of failure.
“I am now
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