Afghanistan: Joe Biden ‘convinced’ he was right with US military withdrawal – says evacuations ‘would have been difficult no matter when we started’ | world News

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Joe Biden defended a US military withdrawal in Afghanistan, saying that a mass evacuation of refugees would be “difficult and painful no matter when we started.”

The US president said his “heart aches” with the thousands stranded outside Kabul airport in desperate scenes, but added that it was “just a fact” that the evacuation would have been difficult no matter how and when it was planned.

Tony Blair is among many who have criticized Biden for the chaos in Kabul and across Afghanistan, with the former prime minister saying the decision to withdraw troops was “foolish”.

At a White House news conference, Biden said he had a “fundamental decision to make” and was “convinced that I am absolutely right not to send more men and women to war.”

Photo: Precarious conditions for evacuees at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Pic: AP

He said, “If we don’t leave Afghanistan now, when do we leave?”

Mr. Biden added that he did not wish to extend his deadline for halting evacuations and withdrawal of US troops from Kabul on August 31, but that talks were ongoing on this.

Afghans grow desperate as the end of August approaches, as the last civilian flight has departed well before then.

Mr. Biden reiterated that his number one priority is to get US citizens out of Afghanistan “as quickly and safely as possible,” adding that 11,000 people had been evacuated over the weekend.

But ministers want Biden to keep US forces on the ground beyond that date, with Labor calling on the prime minister to call a UK ally to extend the exit date.

Boris Johnson confirmed on social media that he would invite the leaders of the Group of Seven, which includes Biden, on Tuesday for “urgent talks” on the situation in the country.

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the group would discuss “continuing our close coordination on Afghanistan policy” as well as ongoing evacuation efforts.

Image: Members of Britain’s armed forces say participating in evacuation efforts is becoming increasingly precarious Image: Ministry of Defense confirms seven Afghan civilians have died in chaotic crowds outside the airport

On Sunday, the Defense Ministry confirmed the killing of seven Afghan civilians in chaotic crowds outside Kabul airport, but reports indicated that 20 people were killed in the past week while trying to board the airport.

Today, Sky News chief Stuart Ramsey has seen the British Armed Forces work with the Taliban to restore order and treat more evacuees, but serious safety risks remain.

Former Chief of Defense Staff Lord Richards said British forces securing the airport were in a “very precarious situation”, with little protection from security threats posed by the likes of the so-called Islamic State.

“I’ve done some of these non-combat evacuations in my time and this is the worst possible scenario, when you are unable to clear a distance between the airhead and the potential threat, which is exactly what is happening now,” he told Radio Times.

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In his first public comments since the collapse of the Afghan government, Tony Blair condemned what he called the “abandonment” of Afghans.

Armed Forces Minister James Hebby said British forces were “seeing things that are unimaginably difficult to deal with”, with reports of overcrowding, violence and a lack of heat in Kabul.

However, he said there have been “very encouraging” improvements at the Baron Hotel in the city, where British and Afghans eligible for repatriation are being processed, following reports earlier this weekend that they had been surrounded by the Taliban.

He said the “flow” out of the hotel was “significantly” better after changes to crowd control by the hardline regime, with 731 people being prepared for flights in the UK on Sunday morning alone.

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