READY OR NOT

U.S. Starts Final Military Withdrawal From Afghanistan

Weeks after President Biden said U.S. troops will be gone by Sept. 11, officials are beginning the process, which will leave Afghan forces to deal with the Taliban.

After nearly two decades of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, officials say they are beginning what will be a complete withdrawal from the country. This comes after President Biden announced earlier this month plans for all American troops to be out of the country by Sept. 11. “I now have a set of orders,” U.S.-led Afghanistan coalition leader Gen. Austin S. Miller said Sunday. “We will conduct an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan, and that means transitioning bases and equipment to the Afghan security forces.” This will leave Afghan military and police personnel, officially numbered at about 300,000, as the main obstacle to the Taliban regaining control of the country. “I often get asked… can the security forces do the work in our absence?” said Miller. “My message has always been the same: they must be ready.”