Ex-President, Speaker and Secretary: See who backs Biden’s Afghan decision

Former US Presidents and high ranking officials of the current administration joined hands in demonstrating support for the recent announcement made by US President Joe Biden about retracting all military personnel deployed in Afghanistan and giving the process a symbolic deadline of September 11 this year, which would mark two decades of the 9/11 attacks.

Former US President Barack Obama released an official statement soon after Biden made the announcement. The statement began throwing explicit support and read, “President Biden has made the right decision in completing the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan,” and further attempted to pivot the respect in the hearts of Americans towards the “extraordinary sacrifices of the Americans” who have contributed to the efforts of fighting the longest war. 

Also Read: Rights of Afghan women will be protected, says US President Joe Biden

Obama tweeted the official statement and captioned it, “I support @POTUS’s bold leadership in building our nation at home and restoring our standing around the world,” in order to further amplify his support.

Speaker of US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi joined Obama in projecting support for the Biden administration’s decision and vouched for the “safe, strategic and orderly departure of American troops from Afghanistan”, reported CNN.

She further mentioned her commitment to safeguarding the human rights of the people of Afghanistan and promised to make efforts, which are within her powers, to ensure peace and security in the region. 

Also Read: No talks on Afghanistan’s future until all foreign forces leave, say Taliban

However, one of the most significant announcements was made by Biden’s Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who said that the Pentagon will not terminate the funding of US-friendly departments of the Afghan armed forces. This includes Special Mission Wing, Afghan Airforce and other prominent wings. 

In addition to declaring his support for the action, he announced, “We will look to continue funding key capabilities such as the Afghan air force and special mission wing, and we will seek to continue paying salaries for Afghan Security Forces”, reported CNN.