Key takeaways from Joe Biden’s news conference addressing Kabul evacuation

Amid widespread criticism for a chaotic and often violent exit strategy in Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden presided over a White House news conference on Friday and pledged to bring back Americans who are still trapped in the South Asian country.

“Let me be clear: any American who wants to come home, we will get you home,” Biden said, according to the Associated Press inputs.

Meanwhile, Biden also said the United States is committed to evacuating all Afghans who assisted the war effort — a potentially vast expansion of the administration’s commitments on the airlift so far, given the tens of thousands of Afghan translators and others, and their close family members, seeking evacuation.

The Taliban forces took over the entirety of Afghanistan and breached capital Kabul on Sunday, capping a lightning offensive across the country. Their sudden victory, which comes as the US withdraws from the country following a 20-year-war, has sparked chaos at Kabul’s airport, from where America and allied nations are trying to safely evacuate thousands of citizens and allies.  

“The United States stands by its commitment that we’ve made to these people and it includes other vulnerable Afghans such as women leaders and journalists,” Biden said.

While reports from the ground indicate that the scenes outside Hamid Karzai International Airport are growing increasingly desperate, Biden said the US is pulling off “one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history.”  

Biden informed that the US had evacuated 5,700 people on Thursday.

Furthermore, the President informed that the US was in constant contact with the Taliban and working towards ensuring civilians safe passage to the airport. He said the US has communicated that any attack on US forces or disruption of its operations at the airport would be “met with swift and forceful response.”

ALSO READ | US troops’ exit from Afghanistan, Vietnam to impact Kamala Harris’ Asia trip

“The past week has been heartbreaking,” Biden said. “We’ve seen gut-wrenching images of panicked people acting out of sheer desperation. You know, it’s completely understandable. They’re frightened. They’re sad. Uncertain what happens next. I don’t think anyone, I don’t think any one of us can see these pictures and not feel that pain on a human level.”

Finally, the 78-year-old admitted there would be “plenty of time to criticize and second guess this operation,” he said that for now he was focused on “getting this job done.”