Pres. Joe Biden Defends Decision to Pull Out U.S. Troops in Afghanistan After TalibanTake Over

In his first public comments since the Taliban forces took full control of Afghanistan, President Joe Biden has defended his decision to pull out the U.S. troops in the South Asian country.

In a speech delivered from the White House on Monday, Joe Biden said he stands "squarely" behind his decision and acknowledged that the Taliban forces' victories across Afghanistan happened faster than he expected.

After nearly two decades of conflict in Afghanistan, the country's capital Kabul fell under the Taliban forces on Sunday, causing the American troops to scramble to evacuate thousands of U.S. diplomats and Afghans from the U.S. Embassy.

The president traveled back to the White House from Camp David to speak about his decision to withdraw the U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Joe Biden argued that it was wrong to order U.S. troops in Afghanistan to engage in further fighting when they were not willing to do so.

"I cannot and will not ask our troops to fight endlessly in another country's civil war," Biden said. The president further noted that there was never a good time to withdraw the U.S. forces.

Joe Biden Under Assault on Afghanistan Drawdown

It can be recalled that Joe Biden's decision to draw down U.S. military operations in Afghanistan has come under fire.

Before the president's speech at the White House, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell described the fall of Afghanistan in the Taliban's hands as an embarrassment for the U.S. and victory for the terrorists worldwide.

Other Republicans also criticized the president. Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney noted that Biden's surrender "strengthens the terrorist enemies." Cheney also said that Biden's withdrawal of U.S. troops abandons the allies and "ensures" a long war.

Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger blamed both the Trump and Biden administrations, arguing that both sides failed in handling the situation in Afghanistan.

Taliban Forces Take Over Afghanistan

On their first day in control of Kabul, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Taliban forces hijacked the streets and searched the offices and homes of government officials and media outlets.

The armed militants also took over police posts and established checkpoints throughout Kabul. Taliban forces imposed a 9 p.m. curfew in the city with a population of at least six million, while they seized military vehicles from the U.S. and Afghan forces.

Despite their presence in Kabul, the Taliban appeared to refrain from immediate mass detentions as well as violence. However, gunshots were heard at the airport in the northern part of Kabul as thousands of people tried to get on evacuation flights.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed Taliban head of intelligence for Kabul province, Mawlawi Fatehullah Madani, assured the public that "their lives" and their properties would be safe.

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Joe Biden Makes Statement on Afghanistan Withdrawal - From Guardian News