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APRIL 14, 2021
President Biden Delivers Remarks on Afghanistan Strategy
President Biden announced the U.S. will begin removing troops from Afghanistan on May 1, 2021, and set a final date for removal by this September 11, which will be the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In a speech from the White House Treaty Room, the president said he was the fourth to preside over the War in Afghanistan, “and I will not pass this responsibility onto a fifth.” He also said he had spoken to former President George W. Bush about his decision and remarked on their shared respect for military service members saying, “I’m the first president in 40 years who knows what it means to have a child serving in a war zone.”
President Biden Delivers Remarks on Afghanistan Strategy
President Biden announced the U.S. will begin removing troops from Afghanistan on May 1, 2021, and set a final date for removal by this September 11, which will be the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In a speech from the White House Treaty Room, the president said he was the fourth to preside over the War in Afghanistan, “and I will not pass this responsibility onto a fifth.” He also said he had spoken to former President George W. Bush about his decision and remarked on their shared respect for military service members saying, “I’m the first president in 40 years who knows what it means to have a child serving in a war zone.”
President Joe Biden warned the Taliban Wednesday he would hold them accountable on Afghanistan after the US exit and pressed nations including Pakistan to play supportive roles.
Biden Warns Taliban, Presses Pakistan as US Announces Afghan Exit
Apr. 15 - "We will hold the Taliban accountable for its commitment not to allow any terrorists to threaten the US or its allies from Afghan soil. The Afghan government has made that commitment to us as well," Biden said in a speech announcing an end to America's longest war, CNBC reported.
"We will ask other countries in the region to support Afghanistan, especially Pakistan, as well as Russia, China, India and Turkey," he added.
Biden announced he will withdraw US combat troops from Afghanistan by September 11, ending America’s longest war.
The removal of approximately 3,000 American service members coincides with the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks which spurred America’s entry into lengthy wars in the Middle East and Central Asia.
“It is time to end America’s longest war. It is time for American troops to come home,” Biden stated in his televised address from the White House Treaty Room, where former President George W. Bush announced military action against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in October 2001.
“I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth,” Biden continued, adding that the US mission would be solely dedicated to providing assistance to Afghanistan and supporting diplomacy.
Biden added that he coordinated his decision with international partners and allies as well as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and spoke to former President George W. Bush. The withdrawal of US troops will begin on May 1. Following his remarks, Biden said he would visit Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for Americans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a statement following Biden’s speech, former President Barack Obama stated the United States had “accomplished all that we can militarily and that it’s time to bring our remaining troops home”.
Ghani noted he respects the US decision to withdraw its forces and Afghanistan’s military is “fully capable of defending its people and country”.
In February 2020, the Donald Trump administration brokered a deal with the Taliban that would usher in a permanent cease-fire and reduce further the US military’s footprint from approximately 13,000 troops to 8,600 by mid-July last year.
By May 2021, all foreign forces would leave Afghanistan, according to the deal. The majority of troops in the country are from Europe and partner nations. About 2,500 US service members are now in Afghanistan.
Under the agreement, the Taliban promised it would stop terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base to launch attacks against the US or its allies and agreed to conduct peace talks with the central government in Kabul.
The announcement to leave Afghanistan comes on the heels of a Wednesday meeting between NATO allies and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. NATO joined the international security effort in Afghanistan in 2003 and currently has more than 7,000 troops in the country.
“Our allies and partners have stood beside us shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan for almost 20 years and we are deeply grateful for the contributions they have made to our shared mission,” Biden said, adding, “The plan has long been in together and out together.”
NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg stated Wednesday from the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels that the “drawdown will be orderly, coordinated and deliberate”.
“We went into Afghanistan together, we have adjusted our posture together and we are united in leaving together,” Stoltenberg said, adding, “Any Taliban attacks on our troops during this period will be met with a forceful response.”
The NATO mission in Afghanistan was launched after the alliance activated its mutual defense clause — known as Article 5 — for the first time in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
The wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have cost US taxpayers more than $1.57 trillion collectively since September 11, 2001, according to a Defense Department report. More than 2,000 US service members have died in Afghanistan.
CIA Director William Burns acknowledged in testimony Wednesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Washington’s ability to act on threats emanating from Afghanistan will be diminished by the US withdrawal.
Burns said some US capabilities will remain in place.
“When the time comes for the US military to withdraw, the US government’s ability to collect and act on threats will diminish. That’s simply a fact,” Burns added.
“It is also a fact, however, that after withdrawal, whenever that time comes, the CIA and all of our partners in the US government will retain a suite of capabilities, some of them remaining in place, some of them that we will generate, that can help us to anticipate and contest any rebuilding effort,” Burns continued. source from
Biden Warns Taliban, Presses Pakistan as US Announces Afghan Exit
Apr. 15 - "We will hold the Taliban accountable for its commitment not to allow any terrorists to threaten the US or its allies from Afghan soil. The Afghan government has made that commitment to us as well," Biden said in a speech announcing an end to America's longest war, CNBC reported.
"We will ask other countries in the region to support Afghanistan, especially Pakistan, as well as Russia, China, India and Turkey," he added.
Biden announced he will withdraw US combat troops from Afghanistan by September 11, ending America’s longest war.
The removal of approximately 3,000 American service members coincides with the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks which spurred America’s entry into lengthy wars in the Middle East and Central Asia.
“It is time to end America’s longest war. It is time for American troops to come home,” Biden stated in his televised address from the White House Treaty Room, where former President George W. Bush announced military action against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in October 2001.
“I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth,” Biden continued, adding that the US mission would be solely dedicated to providing assistance to Afghanistan and supporting diplomacy.
Biden added that he coordinated his decision with international partners and allies as well as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and spoke to former President George W. Bush. The withdrawal of US troops will begin on May 1. Following his remarks, Biden said he would visit Section 60 at Arlington National Cemetery, the final resting place for Americans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a statement following Biden’s speech, former President Barack Obama stated the United States had “accomplished all that we can militarily and that it’s time to bring our remaining troops home”.
Ghani noted he respects the US decision to withdraw its forces and Afghanistan’s military is “fully capable of defending its people and country”.
In February 2020, the Donald Trump administration brokered a deal with the Taliban that would usher in a permanent cease-fire and reduce further the US military’s footprint from approximately 13,000 troops to 8,600 by mid-July last year.
By May 2021, all foreign forces would leave Afghanistan, according to the deal. The majority of troops in the country are from Europe and partner nations. About 2,500 US service members are now in Afghanistan.
Under the agreement, the Taliban promised it would stop terrorist groups from using Afghanistan as a base to launch attacks against the US or its allies and agreed to conduct peace talks with the central government in Kabul.
The announcement to leave Afghanistan comes on the heels of a Wednesday meeting between NATO allies and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. NATO joined the international security effort in Afghanistan in 2003 and currently has more than 7,000 troops in the country.
“Our allies and partners have stood beside us shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan for almost 20 years and we are deeply grateful for the contributions they have made to our shared mission,” Biden said, adding, “The plan has long been in together and out together.”
NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg stated Wednesday from the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels that the “drawdown will be orderly, coordinated and deliberate”.
“We went into Afghanistan together, we have adjusted our posture together and we are united in leaving together,” Stoltenberg said, adding, “Any Taliban attacks on our troops during this period will be met with a forceful response.”
The NATO mission in Afghanistan was launched after the alliance activated its mutual defense clause — known as Article 5 — for the first time in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.
The wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria have cost US taxpayers more than $1.57 trillion collectively since September 11, 2001, according to a Defense Department report. More than 2,000 US service members have died in Afghanistan.
CIA Director William Burns acknowledged in testimony Wednesday before the Senate Intelligence Committee that Washington’s ability to act on threats emanating from Afghanistan will be diminished by the US withdrawal.
Burns said some US capabilities will remain in place.
“When the time comes for the US military to withdraw, the US government’s ability to collect and act on threats will diminish. That’s simply a fact,” Burns added.
“It is also a fact, however, that after withdrawal, whenever that time comes, the CIA and all of our partners in the US government will retain a suite of capabilities, some of them remaining in place, some of them that we will generate, that can help us to anticipate and contest any rebuilding effort,” Burns continued. source from
APRIL 14, 2021
President Biden Visits Arlington National Cemetery
President Biden visited section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried. He spoke briefly to reporters about his son Beau, who served in Iraq.
President Biden Visits Arlington National Cemetery
President Biden visited section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are buried. He spoke briefly to reporters about his son Beau, who served in Iraq.
APRIL 14, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki discussed the administration’s agenda and other news of the day with reporters. Ahead of President Biden’s expected announcement of withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the press secretary fielded several questions on the topic. She said the president consulted with military leaders and regional experts before making his decision and believed the path forward is diplomacy. She also said the global terrorism threat has changed since the invasion in 2001 and the approach to counter terrorism must evolve.
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki discussed the administration’s agenda and other news of the day with reporters. Ahead of President Biden’s expected announcement of withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the press secretary fielded several questions on the topic. She said the president consulted with military leaders and regional experts before making his decision and believed the path forward is diplomacy. She also said the global terrorism threat has changed since the invasion in 2001 and the approach to counter terrorism must evolve.
President Tsai Ing-wen (right) meets former US Senator Chris Dodd (Presidential Office)
Biden’s delegation to Taiwan a new form of US diplomacy
Apr. 15, TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The visit by U.S. President Joe Biden’s delegation to Taiwan has been lauded by an expert on China issues as a new form of American diplomacy that prioritizes substance over formalism.
Jerome Cohen, a law professor at New York University and senior fellow for Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, commented in a series of tweets Wednesday (April 14) that the unofficial mission has set the example for “deemphasizing the formalities of interstate relations and instead focusing on the facts and functions.”
Given the distinctive status of Taiwan and the sensitivity of cross-strait relations, the approach can be “progressive without being unacceptably provocative,” he reckoned. Cohen also expressed hope that this strategy of informal interactions can continue.
Meanwhile, he pointed out that former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, one of the emissaries visiting Taiwan and a good friend of Biden's, is reportedly a candidate for the new U.S. ambassador to China. He believes Dodd can assume a “broader, more flexible role” in the Biden administration.
The mission, which comprises Dodd and former Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday. It is seen by many as a sign of Biden’s commitment to the East Asian country.
In her meeting with the elder statesmen on Thursday (April 15), Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) called for the resumption of the U.S.-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and closer bilateral cooperation on fighting disinformation and cognitive warfare. Meanwhile, China carried out what it termed “combat drills” near Taiwan in apparent protest. source from
Biden’s delegation to Taiwan a new form of US diplomacy
Apr. 15, TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The visit by U.S. President Joe Biden’s delegation to Taiwan has been lauded by an expert on China issues as a new form of American diplomacy that prioritizes substance over formalism.
Jerome Cohen, a law professor at New York University and senior fellow for Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, commented in a series of tweets Wednesday (April 14) that the unofficial mission has set the example for “deemphasizing the formalities of interstate relations and instead focusing on the facts and functions.”
Given the distinctive status of Taiwan and the sensitivity of cross-strait relations, the approach can be “progressive without being unacceptably provocative,” he reckoned. Cohen also expressed hope that this strategy of informal interactions can continue.
Meanwhile, he pointed out that former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd, one of the emissaries visiting Taiwan and a good friend of Biden's, is reportedly a candidate for the new U.S. ambassador to China. He believes Dodd can assume a “broader, more flexible role” in the Biden administration.
The mission, which comprises Dodd and former Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and James Steinberg, arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday. It is seen by many as a sign of Biden’s commitment to the East Asian country.
In her meeting with the elder statesmen on Thursday (April 15), Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) called for the resumption of the U.S.-Taiwan Trade and Investment Framework Agreement and closer bilateral cooperation on fighting disinformation and cognitive warfare. Meanwhile, China carried out what it termed “combat drills” near Taiwan in apparent protest. source from
