Bring responsible end to long wars, Biden tells Pentagon chief

KABUL (Pajhwok): On his first visit to the Pentagon since taking office on Jan 20, US President Joe Biden instructed his defense secretary to bring a responsible end to wars that dragged on for far too long.

Biden on his first visit to the Pentagon as commander-in-chief promised to work with Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin and leaders around the world “to bring a responsible end to wars that have dragged on for far too long, while continuing to ensure that terrorist threats cannot endanger the security of the American people.”

“As your commander in chief, I will never hesitate to use force to defend the vital interest of America, the American people and our allies around the world when necessary,” Biden said.

He added that “the central indispensable mission of the Department of Defense is to deter aggression from our enemies, and if required to, fight and win wars to keep America safe.”  But “force should be a tool of last resort, not the first,” he said.

“The Defense Department is essential for the work State Department diplomats do around the world. In fact, the president said, DOD personnel are not just the guarantors of US security, but often diplomats themselves.”

In the meantime, the Washington Times reported the president could abandon the approaching May 1 exit deadline to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan.

The February 2020 deal says that all US troops are supposed to be gone by May 2021.

But, officials in the Biden administration have said any deal should be based on conditions on the ground rather than a date set on a calendar.

Nh/ma