Politico | A defiant Joe Biden calls Afghanistan exit a ‘success’
- The US president’s speech capped a tumultuous month that brought an end to America’s longest war
- ‘For those remaining Americans, there is no deadline,’ the president said. ‘We remain committed to get them out if they want to come out’
This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nick Niedzwiadek on politico.com on August 31, 2021.
His speech came almost exactly 24 hours after General Frank McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, announced that the last military flights out of Afghanistan had departed Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday there were between 100 and 200 American citizens who “wanted to leave” Afghanistan but remained in the country. Biden confirmed that estimate on Tuesday and said the US and others would continue to work to evacuate people out of Afghanistan.
“For those remaining Americans, there is no deadline,” the president said. “We remain committed to get them out if they want to come out.”
