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US President Joe Biden discusses his “build back better” agenda and the administration’s efforts to “lower prescription drug prices” in the East Room of the White House in Washington, United States, on the 12th. August 2021.
Evelyne Hockstein | REUTERS
WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden is expected to address the nation from the White House on Monday afternoon after the Taliban seized the presidential palace in the war-weary Afghan capital of Kabul over the weekend, a development drama that marks the apparent end of a 20-year period. American era in the country.
Biden’s remarks, scheduled for 3:45 p.m. ET, will be the first since the Taliban toppled the Afghan national government on Sunday. The president’s decision to address the nation comes amid mounting criticism of his administration’s handling of the situation and calls on him to break his silence.
Despite being largely outnumbered by the Afghan military, which has long been assisted by US coalition and NATO forces, the Taliban have made a succession of shocking battlefield gains in recent weeks. .
In April, Biden ordered the Pentagon to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, a move he said was made in close collaboration with NATO coalition forces.
Last week, Biden told reporters last week at the White House that he did not regret his decision to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan, thus ending America’s longest war.
“Look, we have spent over a trillion dollars over 20 years, we have trained and equipped with modern equipment over 300,000 Afghan forces,” Biden said on August 10.
“Afghan leaders must come together,” the president added.
Taliban fighters sit above a vehicle on a street in Laghman province, August 15, 2021.
AFP | Getty Images
As the Taliban moved closer to the capital, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and Western countries rushed to evacuate embassies amid deteriorating security.
The State Department confirmed on Sunday evening that all U.S. diplomatic personnel from the embassy in Kabul had been transported safely to Kabul International Airport.
“All the staff of the embassy are in the premises of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, the perimeter of which is secured by the US military,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said.
The latest revelation follows Biden’s order to deploy around 5,000 US troops to Kabul to evacuate embassy staff. Meanwhile, the State Department has instructed U.S. Embassy field staff to destroy sensitive information before they leave.
Thousands of Afghans have invaded the tarmac at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, desperately seeking to escape a country now completely overrun by the Taliban.
Afghans sit as they wait to leave Kabul Airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021, after a surprisingly swift end to the 20-year war in Afghanistan, as thousands gathered at the city’s airport in an attempt to flee the dreaded intransigent brand of the Islamist regime. .
Deputy Kohsar | AFP | Getty Images
Two U.S. defense officials confirmed to NBC News that the Taliban captured Bagram Air Base on Sunday, a development that comes less than two months after the U.S. military handed over the once-strong air base to the forces of Afghan national security and defense.
The Taliban have started emptying Parwan prison, which has between 5,000 and 7,000 prisoners, including hardened Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters, officials said, who requested anonymity.
In 2012, at its peak, Bagram saw more than 100,000 American soldiers pass. It was the largest US military installation in Afghanistan.
This is last minute news. Please check for updates.
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