Afghanistan: Biden authorizes 5000 troops for DEP; blames Trump for Afg mess

In a statement released by the White House, President Biden announced the deployment of approx. 5000 US troops to ascertain the “orderly and safe drawdown of US personnel and other allied personnel, and an orderly evacuation of Afghans who helped our troops.”

The deployment of 3000 troops in Kabul was authorized for the safe evacuation of US embassy staff but the number has now been increased. President Biden said he was in close contact with the national security team and “[gave] them directions on how to protect our interests and values as we end our military mission in Afghanistan.”

He has also told the Intelligence Community to “ensure that we will maintain the capability and the vigilance to address future terrorist threats from Afghanistan,” he said in the statement.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has also been “directed to support President Ghani and other Afghan leaders as they seek to prevent further bloodshed and pursue a political settlement,” and “Secretary Blinken will also engage with key regional stakeholders,” the statement added.

A message has also been sent to the Taliban in Doha, via the Combatant Commander that any action “on the ground that puts US personnel or our mission there at risk will be met with a swift and strong US military response.”

Ambassador Tracey Jacobson has also been given the task to ensure the “process, transport, and relocate Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants and other Afghan allies.”

At the end of the statement the President defended his decision of withdrawing troops and put the blame on President Trump for the present situation in Afghanistan where a Taliban takeover is a few days away. According to the statement, he was faced with two decisions, to either follow through the deal [made by President Trump] or buff up the military presence “to fight once again in another country’s civil conflict.”

“When I came to office, I inherited a deal cut by my predecessor – which he invited the Taliban to discuss at Camp David on the eve of 9/11 of 2019 – that left the Taliban in the strongest position militarily since 2001 and imposed a May 1, 2021 deadline on US Forces. Shortly before he left office, he also drew US Forces down to a bare minimum of 2,500. Therefore, when I became President, I faced a choice – follow through on the deal, with a brief extension to get our Forces and our allies’ Forces out safely, or ramp up our presence and send more American troops to fight once again in another country’s civil conflict. I was the fourth President to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan – two Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth.”

He decided he will not pass this war onto a fifth President.