Biden news live: Latest updates as the president faces an ABC interview on Afghanistan

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Joe Biden refuses to answer questions after Afghanistan statement

President Joe Biden will have his first media interview on the situation in Afghanistan later today.

Between 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. GMT (7 a.m. and 9 a.m. EDT), the president is scheduled to be interviewed by former White House communications director George Stephanopoulos on ABC News.

We’ll be covering the interview live here.

Late last night, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan outlined remarks he made earlier on getting all American citizens out of Afghanistan, and insisted that all Americans go home.

He said on Twitter: “When I was asked if we were going to get all Americans out of Afghanistan, I said ‘that’s what we’re going to do’ and that’s exactly what we’re going to do and get done now with HKIA. [Hamid Karzai International Airport] It is reopened and operational, thanks to the wonderful work of our troops and diplomats.”

Earlier, during a White House press conference, Sullivan refused to confirm whether US forces would remain at the airport in Kabul after the end of August if not all Americans were evacuated from the country.

Key PointsView Latest Update 1629275130 President Biden “Takes Responsibility” for Afghanistan’s Decisions

The National Security Adviser said President Biden “takes responsibility” for all Afghan decisions made by the US government amid the Taliban’s seizure of power across the country.

At a White House press briefing on Tuesday, Jake Sullivan said the president “has responsibility for every decision the United States government makes regarding Afghanistan because, as he said, the responsibility rests with him.”

He added, “I also take responsibility, as do my colleagues, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and our directors of intelligence services. We as a national security team collectively bear responsibility for every decision.”

Celine Wadhera Aug 18 2021 09:25

1629274050 US government watchdog issues scathing report on US efforts in Afghanistan

A US government watchdog has issued a scathing report on America’s efforts in Afghanistan.

The report, released amid chaotic scenes of Afghans trying to flee the country in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, recalls the “many failures” of the country’s reconstruction efforts over the past 20 years.

“If the goal is to rebuild and abandon a country that can sustain itself and pose little threat to the national security interests of the United States, the overall picture is bleak,” the report says.

“The extraordinary costs were intended to serve a purpose – although the definition of the purpose has evolved over time,” she added.

Over the past two decades, the United States has been militarily involved in Afghanistan, nearly $1 trillion has been spent and 2,443 American soldiers lost their lives, along with 1,444 Allied flights, 66,000 Afghan soldiers and more than 48,000 Afghan civilians.

Celine Wadhera Aug 18 2021 09:07

1629272880 President Joe Biden gives his first interview on Afghanistan

President Joe Biden is scheduled to have his first interview on Afghanistan on Tuesday.

He will sit down with former White House communications director George Stephanopoulos of ABC News to talk about the withdrawal of US forces and reveal the situation in the Middle Eastern country.

The interview is expected to air early in the morning in America, between 7am and 9am EST – between 12pm and 2pm GMT.

The Independent will cover the interview live here.

Celine Wadhera Aug 18 2021 08:48

1629272631 White House aide clarifies comments to insist all Americans go home

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan clarified comments he made earlier, insisting that all Americans would be sent home.

After a press conference at the White House, in which Mr. Sullivan refused to confirm whether US forces would remain in Kabul to assist with evacuations after the end of August, he took to Twitter to set the record straight.

On Tuesday evening, he tweeted: “When I was asked if we were going to get all Americans out of Afghanistan, I said ‘that’s what we’re going to do’ and that’s exactly what we’re going to do and get done now with HKIA.” [Hamid Karzai International Airport] It is reopened and operational, thanks to the wonderful work of our troops and diplomats.”

Celine Wadhera Aug 18 2021 08:43

1629272146

Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of US policy and the situation in Afghanistan. Stay tuned for constant updates with the latest news throughout the day.

Celine Wadhera Aug 18 2021 08:35

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