Pres. Joe Biden Addresses End of U.S. War in Afghanistan, Signs Bill to Provide Assistance for Returning Americans

In an address to the nation on Tuesday, President Joe Biden has defended his decision to end the U.S. war in Afghanistan after nearly 20 years of conflict.

Joe Biden's address came 11 days before the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that triggered the intervention of the U.S. in Afghanistan.

The president's address also came after the U.S. completed its withdrawal on the South Asian country on Monday, although some Americans remain in the said country.

Joe Biden Says Nation Building Era of U.S. is Over as Afghanistan War Ends

During remarks at the White House, Joe Biden said that he was the fourth chief executive of the U.S. who faced the dilemma of when or whether to end the almost 20-year war in Afghanistan.

Biden also recalled that he made a "commitment" to end the war when he was running for president, adding that completing the withdrawal fulfilled his commitment back then.

"It was time to be honest with the American people; we no longer had a clear purpose in an open-ended mission in Afghanistan," the president said.

The president also defended his decision to withdraw from the South Asian country, saying it's not only about Afghanistan.

"It's about ending an era of major military operations to remake other countries," Biden noted.

The president also said the U.S. was able to evacuate 90 percent of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan. For those remaining Americans, the president said there's no deadline and vowed to get them out of the country if they wish to.

Joe Biden noted that leaving on August 31 is not due to an arbitrary deadline, and it was designed to save American lives.

"It was time to end this war. I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a forever exit," the president said.

On Monday, Marine Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie, commander of U.S Central Command, said that fewer than "250" Americans remain in Afghanistan as the U.S. withdrawal concluded on the same day.

McKenzie further noted that the administration would shift to diplomatic operations headed by the State Department in rescuing the remaining Americans in the said country.

House Introduces Bill Increasing Visa Cap to Afghan Partners; Senate Bill Helping Americans and Afghanistan Becomes Law

The House and Senate are moving to help the Afghan and American evacuees. On Tuesday, lawmakers from the House of Representatives introduced a bipartisan bill that would increase the visa cap for Afghan partners by 10,000.

Also known as the Showing American Values by Evacuating Afghan Partners Act, the said bill would increase the Special Immigrant Visa for Afghan interpreters and vulnerable partners.

Representatives Jason Crow and Peter Meijer proposed the said bill. Meanwhile, the bill signed by the Senate on Tuesday was signed into law by Joe Biden on the same day.

Known as the "Emergency Repatriation Assistance for Returning Americans Act," the said law would provide $10 million emergency funds per year - this year and next year - to help American evacuees from Afghanistan with necessities and adjust to their life back home.

The bill introduced by the House lawmakers and the bill passed by Senate that was signed into law would help the more than 123,000 people composed of Afghans and Americans that the U.S. evacuated as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.

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Written By: Joshua Summers

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