Joe Biden says US military mission in Afghan will end by 31st August

"I will not let a coming generation of Americans battle in Afghanistan." said Joe Biden

The United States military operation in Afghanistan will conclude on 31st August, President Joe Biden declared Thursday, as Afghan commandos fought the Taliban for control of a provincial capital in the Taliban's most aggressive assault since Washington increased troop withdrawal.

Almost 20 years after invading Afghanistan in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the US military has "achieved" its objectives in the nation, killing Osama bin Laden, diminishing Al-Qaeda, and averting more attacks on the US, according to Biden in a White House speech. "We are bringing America's longest war to an end," he declared.

"The status quo is not an option," Biden said of staying in the country. "I will not let a coming generation of Americans battle in Afghanistan."

"The US cannot afford to be chained to policies that were designed to adapt to a world that existed 20 years ago," he said. "We must meet the threats where they are right now."

Biden stated that the US "did not go to Afghanistan to construct a nation," and that the Afghan people should select their own future.

However, he acknowledged the uncertainty regarding what that future would entail. When asked if a Taliban takeover was "inevitable," President Obama replied, "No, it is not." However, he stated that "the chance of there being one unified administration in Afghanistan ruling the entire country is quite dubious."

"The Afghan government... must unite," the president remarked. "They certainly have the ability to keep the government in power. The question is whether they will be able to develop the necessary cohesion."

He voiced confidence in Afghan forces, which have been trained and equipped by the US for years in their fight against the resurgent Taliban. "I do not trust the Taliban," Biden stated, "but I believe in the Afghan military's capacity."

And he categorically denied any parallels to the US' experience in Vietnam. "The Taliban are not the North Vietnamese army," stated Biden. "In terms of capability, they are not even remotely similar."

"There will be no circumstances in which you will see people being hoisted from the top of a US embassy in Afghanistan," he continued. "It is in no way comparable."

Biden's statement came as fighting raged for the second day in a row in Badghis, the capital of Afghanistan's Badghis province, with civilians fleeing or barricading themselves in their homes.

Plumes of smoke billowed over Qala-i-Naw, accompanied by shooting, as rebels clashed with hundreds of Afghan commandos who had rushed to the city overnight.

According to Aziz Tawakoli, a resident of Qala-i-Naw, Taliban fighters are still wandering the city. "You can see them riding their motorcycles up and down streets," he said.

Abdul Latif Rostaee, a Badghis health administrator, claimed at least ten civilians had been transported to the hospital since the violence began.

"Our security forces are fighting heroically, and the enemy is being pushed back," Badghis Governor Hessamuddin Shams said on Thursday. "They're on the run. We shall deliver a crushing blow to the adversary."

Zia Gul Habibi, a member of the Badghis provincial council, said the Taliban had suffered losses but had also ringed the city. "They have power over all districts... People are terrified "She stated. Afghan civilians have traditionally suffered an excessive price in the fighting.

Since the US scaled up its retreat, which the Pentagon claims is 90% complete, the Taliban have begun a furious campaign to grab fresh terrain, and fears are growing that Afghan troops may collapse in the absence of critical American air support.

President Ashraf Ghani stated that the government was capable of handling the crisis, but he conceded that obstacles lay ahead.

"We are witnessing one of the most difficult moments of transformation," he remarked in a speech in Kabul. "We have legitimacy; God is with us."

In London, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the majority of British troops have left Afghanistan as part of a NATO retreat coordinated with the US pullout. Meanwhile, the Taliban appear to be pushing for a complete military victory.

After months of impasse, alleged peace talks between the insurgents and the government in Doha have largely collapsed, and the Taliban have conquered dozens of additional districts since early May.

According to Human Rights Watch, rebels were forcing civilians to flee their homes in northern districts that they had occupied. Biden promised to continue assisting the Afghan government and security forces, and he indicated that hundreds of Afghan interpreters who work for US soldiers and face Taliban threats would be permitted to seek shelter in the US.

"If you want, there is a home for you in the US," he remarked. "We will stand by you, just as you have stood by us."