I Was Not Extending a Forever Exit: Biden Says Amid Criticism

U.S. President Joe Biden defended the troop's withdrawal from Afghanistan on Tuesday amid widespread criticism of the chaos it has unleashed and the 13 deaths of the U.S. military due to a bombing of the airport during the evacuation.

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"I'm the fourth president who has faced the issue of whether and when to end this war. When I was running for president, I committed to the American people that I would end this war. Today I've honored that commitment," Biden said from the White House.

"I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a forever exit," the U.S. president said while noticing that the only two options were "leaving and escalating" as he blamed past administrations without naming them, for the Afghanistan disaster.

"We must stay focused on the fundamental national security interests of the United States. This decision about Afghanistan is not just about Afghanistan. It is about ending an era of major military operations to remake other countries," Biden remarked.

On the other hand, the U.S. president pledged to continue working with its allies to guarantee the rescue of more Afghans that were left behind. The Afghanistan war lasted 20 years and according to Biden, it cost $2 trillion and more than 2,350 military personnel.