Joe Biden conducts security conference with officials amid Afghan violence

United States President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were part of a secure video conference with the national security officials of the country on Saturday to speak about the rising insurgency in Afghanistan. The conversation comes just three weeks before the country vowed to pull back all its troops.

After the virtually held conference, Biden announced that he has authorised the deployment of 5,000 troops to Afghanistan to ensure an “orderly & safe drawdown of US personnel & other allied personnel & an orderly & safe evacuation of Afghans who helped our troops & those at special risk from Taliban advance”, according to news agency ANI.

As the United States initiates the re-entry of its troops into Afghan territories, the August 31 deadline has come into question as the situation in the Asian country worsens, according to reports from Associated Press.

Biden, during his address on Saturday, said that a “swift and strong” reaction can be expected from the United States in case the Taliban takes part in anything that puts the country’s personnel at risk. 

He said, “We have conveyed to the Taliban representatives in Doha, via our Combatant Commander, that any action on their part on the ground in Afghanistan, that puts US personnel or our mission at risk there, will be met with a swift & strong US military response”, news agency ANI reported.

The US President further announced that he had instructed Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to provide support to Afghanistan’s leaders, including President Ashraf Ghani, as they prevent bloodshed in the country.

He added, ” I have ordered our armed forces & intelligence community to ensure that we’ll maintain capability to address future terrorist threats from Afghanistan.”

The White House on Saturday tweeted, “This morning, the President and Vice President held a video conference with the national security team to discuss the ongoing efforts to draw down our civilian footprint in Afghanistan. In addition, the President and Vice President were briefed on the earthquake in Haiti.”