Rome, 31 August 2021 – On the announced day of the end of 20 years of US and NATO missions in Afghanistan, and with the last American soldier who left Kabul 24 hours early, he intervenes with a new speech to the nation President Joe Biden. An expected intervention that according to the anticipations explains “the difficult decisions taken in the past seven months to put an end to the conflict, “spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, and announces” the opening of a new chapter“. But it should also give an answer to the crossfire, both international and domestic American, which, since the reconquest of power by the Taliban and after the resumption of ISIS terrorism in Kabul, presses against the US administration.
Meanwhile, Washington has moved his Afghan embassy in Doha, in Qatar, and the secretary of state Antony Blink he said he was willing to work with the Taliban “if they keep their commitments”. While today it is back to be felt too Al Qaida congratulating the Taliban for the “victory” against the US. “It is a lesson and an example for all jihadists”, reads the statement in English and Arabic reported by Site, the site that monitors Islamic extremism. The terrorist group also calls on “the masses” to “free themselves from American-Western hegemony”.
EU Council on Afghanistan. Austria, Denmark and the Czech Republic: “Let’s help, but stay there
Biden’s speech
“The 20 years of the longer war of our history “, said President Biden speaking from the White House. And the evacuation operation from Kabul was” an extraordinary success “, an operation that the US president called” a compassionate mission“.” I take responsibility for all decisions made – said Biden -. I didn’t want to continue this war forever“.
“I authorized them to be there 6 thousand American soldiers to secure the airport in Kabul, we were ready for any eventuality. We had already had it since last March warnings from the Taliban. Our operation allowed us to fly 6 thousand Americans and thousands of people who did not want to stay out of the country, interpreters and others. Today 100-200 Americans remained in Afghanistan, people with dual citizenship who initially wanted to stay. There is no deadline: we are committed to getting them out, if they want it. “
“The government and the Afghan army, trained by the US and NATO, have not resisted. The assessment of their capabilities has not been accurate. The Taliban have publicly pledged to grant humanitarian corridors to workers, even to those who have collaborated with the West. We we don’t trust them but we trust their actions, and we have many things to convince them to stick to the deal. We have one huge leverage on the Taliban, like access to the global market “.
“The choice was between leaving Afghanistan or prolonging this war. My predecessor last May 1 has signed an agreement with the Taliban, August 31 was not an arbitrary date: we were assured that if we left Afghanistan the Taliban would not touch the US forces, if we did not respect this date something would happen. Faced with the advance of the Taliban they had two choices: either to follow the agreements made by my predecessor Donald Trump or to send thousands more soldiers in an escalation of the war. “
“They will say that we should have started the evacuation first, but I disagree. If we had evacuated during a civil war, it would have been a much more difficult mission. There is no evacuation possible since the end of a war, there is no “is another way. To whoever says that.” we had to continue as we were doing I say that everything had changed. My predecessor had made arrangements, and there was a deadline, May 1st. The Taliban were coming, and we could either stick to the deal or send more soldiers and continue with the war: the objective of the mission had been achieved. The national interest for me is that Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for launching attacks
against the USA “.
“It was time to end this war. There is a new world and we must defend the US from new threats. Our strategy must change. We didn’t need to continue a ground war. My fundamental obligation from
president is to defend America not from the threats of 2001, but from those of today and tomorrow. This is the guiding principle behind my choice. “
“To the militants ofIsis Khorasan and to all terrorists I say: we are not done with you yet. The United States will not forget, will not forgive, we will chase you to the underworld and you will pay your price. As commander-in-chief, our strategy will be precise and targeted. The terrorist threats continue, their nature has changed and our strategy must change: we do not have to fight on the spot, we can fight without soldiers on the spot or with few soldiers on the spot “
“It was time to end this war. The world has changed, we are in constant competition with at dinner, we are challenged with the Russia, and there is nothing they would like more than us being bogged down in Afghanistan for another 10 years. The threats today are in Somalia, al Qaeda affiliates, Isis in Syria and Iraq, and in Africa. I refuse to continue a war that no longer responded to a vital national interest “.
“I am the fourth president to face this situation: I had made a commitment with the Americans, to end this war, and I am proud to have fulfilled my promise, after more than 2 trillion dollars, $ 300 million spent a day for two decades. I refused to start another decade of war, we have been at war for too long. If you are twenty you have not known a period of peace. “Biden recalled the more than 2,400 American soldiers who died in Afghanistan, the pain of families, but also underlined how the war continues to cause victims even after, with the average of 18 suicides per day, between veterans and soldiers, who register in the United States.
“The time has come to look to the future, not to the past. To a future that must be more secure. This is the right decision, the wisest decision for America. I have honored the pledge to end the war. I refuse to continue a war that is no longer in the interest of our people. We’ve been at war too long. ”
© All rights reserved