Biden stands ‘squarely behind’ decision to pull troops from Afghanistan despite Taliban takeover

President Biden admitted Monday that the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban happened “more quickly than we anticipated,” but added that “I stand squarely behind my decision” to order the vast majority of US forces out of the country — stopping short of acknowledging the bungled exit strategy that led to the Western-backed government’s chaotic collapse over the weekend. In his first remarks on the deteriorating situation since Tuesday — when he told reporters Afghan security forces had to “fight for themselves, fight for their nation” — the president laid blame for the national humiliation largely at the feet of his predecessor former President Donald Trump as well as the Afghan forces supported by billions of taxpayer dollars worth of materiel.-- More...