Biden: US troops achieved objective in Afghanistan

KABUL (Pajhwok): With US troops leaving Afghanistan, President Joe Biden has commended the sacrifices of American combat veterans in the country.

Speaking to service members and their families at a military base in Virginia on Friday, the president claimed the US troops had achieved their objective in Afghanistan.

The purpose of their deployment was to prevent Al Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a base from which to attack America in the future, he explained.

US troops pursued the terrorist threat through some of the most unforgiving terrain on the planet, Biden said, referring to Afghanistan.

“As we draw down, we’re also going to focus on the urgent work of rebuilding over-the-horizon capabilities that’ll allow us to take out Al Qaeda if they return to Afghanistan,” he added.

The greatest threat of attack from Al Qaeda or Daesh was not going to be from Afghanistan, the president maintained.

He believed the terrorist threat would stem from five other regions with a greater presence of Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Addressing the service members, he remarked: “You have achieved that purpose” of degrading Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

“You all just showed up and did your job, and it helped make sure there hasn’t been another attack on the homeland from Afghanistan for the last 20 years.

“But we’ll never, ever, ever forget the terrible cost that we paid as a nation.  Many of you likely have lost friends and colleagues in Afghanistan and Iraq.  I know this is personal to you…”

PAN Monitor/mud

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