August 11, 2021
Whitehouse Press Secretary Jen Psaki, in a press briefing on August 10, 2021, addressed questions on Afghanistan, shedding light on matters like the Biden administration’s outlook on the volatile security situation in Afghanistan with US troops’ withdrawal process going on. She also commented on how the future Afghanistan will look like, explaining the Afghan government and security forces’ ability to hold off Taliban. The responses of the secretary on critical questions regarding the future of Afghanistan are below:
Question: On Afghanistan, we’re still a few weeks away from the President’s initial deadline to withdraw all U.S. troops from the country. We’re now seeing so many cities fall to the Taliban. Is the President frustrated by this at all?
Ms. Psaki: Well, the President — there are difficult choices every Commander-in-Chief has to make on behalf of the American people. And President Biden was very clear when he delivered his speech in May announcing his decision that, after 20 years at war, it’s time for American troops to get home.
I would also note and just hark back to some of the points he made when he made that speech that were the drivers for his decision.
We went to Afghanistan to deliver justice to those who attacked us on September 11th, to disrupt terrorists seeking to use Afghanistan as a safe haven to attack the United States. We achieved those objectives some years ago.
We judge the threat now against our homeland, which is his responsibility as Commander-in-Chief to focus on, as being one where the threat emanates from outside of Afghanistan.
So — and the President also, at the time — just to go back to your original question — he asked for a clear assessment, for a review from his team on what the possible implications could be. He asked them not to sugarcoat that. He asked them to lay out specifically and clearly what the consequences could be.
I’ll also note that we have provided a great deal and a range of assistance to the Afghan National Security Defense Forces, and also proposed a significant amount of funding in the FY 2022 budget request for $3.3 billion for the Afghan Security Forces.
So, we — he made a decision as Commander-in-Chief. Those are difficult decisions to make. He did it because, after 20 years at war, it’s time to bring our troops — our men and women — home. And we will continue to be partners and supporters of their efforts on the ground.
Question: With that assistance, are we overestimating the Afghans’ ability to hold off the Taliban, though?
Ms. Psaki: Well, ultimately — there have been assessments by members of the intelligence committee, members of our national security team that have been made public. And they’re the appropriate entities to, of course, make those assessments.
But ultimately, our view is that the Afghan National Security Defense Forces has the equipment, numbers, and training to fight back, which will strengthen their position at the negotiating table.
We believe there’s a political process — that’s the only process that will successfully bring peace and stability to Afghanistan.
