1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:00,000 2 00:00:08,040 --> 00:00:11,180 Good afternoon . Yeah , I want to speak 3 00:00:11,180 --> 00:00:14,200 today . The unfolding situation in 4 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:16,970 Afghanistan for developments that have 5 00:00:16,970 --> 00:00:19,540 taken place in the last week and the 6 00:00:19,540 --> 00:00:21,762 steps were taken to address the rapidly 7 00:00:21,762 --> 00:00:24,650 evolving events . My national security 8 00:00:24,650 --> 00:00:26,872 team and I have been closely monitoring 9 00:00:26,872 --> 00:00:28,594 the situation on the ground in 10 00:00:28,594 --> 00:00:30,580 Afghanistan and moving quickly to 11 00:00:30,580 --> 00:00:32,860 execute the plans we had put in place 12 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,384 to respond to every constituency , 13 00:00:35,384 --> 00:00:38,400 including and contingency , including 14 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,860 the rapid collapse we're seeing now , 15 00:00:41,940 --> 00:00:44,051 I'll speak more in a moment about the 16 00:00:44,051 --> 00:00:46,090 specific steps we're taking . But I 17 00:00:46,090 --> 00:00:48,890 want to remind everyone how we got here 18 00:00:48,990 --> 00:00:51,240 and what America's interests are in 19 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,300 Afghanistan . We want to Afghanistan 20 00:00:54,300 --> 00:00:57,660 almost 20 years ago with clear goals , 21 00:00:58,740 --> 00:01:01,610 Get those who attacked us on September 22 00:01:01,610 --> 00:01:05,140 11 , 2001 and make sure al Qaeda could 23 00:01:05,140 --> 00:01:07,330 not use Afghanistan as a base from 24 00:01:07,330 --> 00:01:10,250 which to attack us again . We did that . 25 00:01:11,140 --> 00:01:13,080 We severely degraded al Qaeda in 26 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,350 Afghanistan . We never gave up the hunt 27 00:01:16,350 --> 00:01:18,406 for Osama bin laden and we got him . 28 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,410 That was a decade ago . Our mission in 29 00:01:22,410 --> 00:01:24,577 Afghanistan was never supposed to have 30 00:01:24,577 --> 00:01:26,610 been nation building . It was never 31 00:01:26,610 --> 00:01:29,340 supposed to be creating a unified 32 00:01:29,340 --> 00:01:32,760 centralized democracy . Our only vital 33 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,593 national interest in Afghanistan 34 00:01:34,650 --> 00:01:36,960 remains today . What has always been 35 00:01:37,540 --> 00:01:40,010 preventing an a terrorist attack on 36 00:01:40,010 --> 00:01:42,930 American homeland ? I've argued for 37 00:01:42,930 --> 00:01:45,041 many years that are missing should be 38 00:01:45,041 --> 00:01:47,820 narrowly focused on counterterrorism , 39 00:01:47,820 --> 00:01:50,180 not counterinsurgency or nation 40 00:01:50,180 --> 00:01:52,750 building . That's why I opposed the 41 00:01:52,750 --> 00:01:56,080 surge when it was proposed in 2009 when 42 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,570 I was vice president and that's why is 43 00:01:58,570 --> 00:02:01,690 President . I'm adamant . We focus on 44 00:02:01,690 --> 00:02:05,390 the threats we face today in 2021 . Not 45 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,920 yesterday's threats today , the 46 00:02:08,930 --> 00:02:11,097 terrorist threat has metastasized well 47 00:02:11,097 --> 00:02:13,950 beyond Afghanistan . Al Shabaab in 48 00:02:13,950 --> 00:02:16,480 Somalia , al Qaeda in the Arabian 49 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:20,020 peninsula , Al Nusra in Syria , Isis 50 00:02:20,020 --> 00:02:22,070 attempting to create a caliphate in 51 00:02:22,070 --> 00:02:24,770 Syria and Iraq and establishing 52 00:02:24,770 --> 00:02:27,250 affiliates in multiple countries in 53 00:02:27,250 --> 00:02:30,580 Africa and Asia . These threats 54 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,360 warren our attention and our resources . 55 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,850 We conduct effective counterterrorism 56 00:02:37,850 --> 00:02:40,060 missions against terrorist groups in 57 00:02:40,060 --> 00:02:43,040 multiple countries where we don't have 58 00:02:43,050 --> 00:02:45,840 permanent military presence if 59 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,140 necessary . We'll do the same in 60 00:02:48,140 --> 00:02:50,700 Afghanistan . We've developed 61 00:02:50,700 --> 00:02:52,590 counterterrorism over the horizon 62 00:02:52,590 --> 00:02:55,660 capability that will allow us to keep 63 00:02:55,660 --> 00:02:57,660 our eyes firmly fixed on the direct 64 00:02:57,660 --> 00:02:59,660 threats to the United States in the 65 00:02:59,660 --> 00:03:02,640 region and act quickly and decisively 66 00:03:02,640 --> 00:03:06,400 if needed . When I came into office , 67 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,262 I inherited a deal that president trump 68 00:03:09,262 --> 00:03:12,070 negotiated with the taliban under his 69 00:03:12,070 --> 00:03:14,960 agreement . US forces would be out of 70 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,030 Afghanistan by May one , 71 00:03:19,540 --> 00:03:21,762 Just a little over three months after I 72 00:03:21,762 --> 00:03:24,260 took office , U . S . Forces had 73 00:03:24,260 --> 00:03:26,980 already drawn down during the Trump 74 00:03:26,980 --> 00:03:30,650 administration from roughly 15,500 75 00:03:30,650 --> 00:03:34,530 American forces To 2500 troops in 76 00:03:34,530 --> 00:03:37,730 country And the Taliban was at his 77 00:03:37,730 --> 00:03:41,260 strongest militarily since 2001 . 78 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,080 The choice I had to make as your 79 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:47,790 president was either to follow through 80 00:03:47,790 --> 00:03:50,660 on that agreement or be prepared to go 81 00:03:50,660 --> 00:03:53,160 back to fighting the Taliban in the 82 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:55,660 middle of the spring fighting season . 83 00:03:56,940 --> 00:03:59,090 It would have been no ceasefire after 84 00:03:59,090 --> 00:04:01,740 May one . There was no agreement 85 00:04:01,740 --> 00:04:03,850 protecting our forces after May one 86 00:04:05,140 --> 00:04:08,080 There was no status quo of stability 87 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,480 without American casualties . After May 88 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,820 one there was only core 89 00:04:13,820 --> 00:04:16,000 reality . Have you either following 90 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:18,330 through on the agreement to withdraw 91 00:04:18,330 --> 00:04:20,750 our forces or escalating the conflict 92 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:23,780 and sending thousands more american 93 00:04:23,780 --> 00:04:26,058 troops back into combat in Afghanistan , 94 00:04:27,140 --> 00:04:30,110 lurching Into the 3rd decade of 95 00:04:30,110 --> 00:04:33,880 conflict . I stand squarely 96 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,750 behind my decision . After 20 years , 97 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,150 I've learned the hard way that there 98 00:04:41,150 --> 00:04:44,290 was never a good time to withdraw us 99 00:04:44,290 --> 00:04:47,160 forces . That's why we're still there . 100 00:04:48,540 --> 00:04:51,280 We were clear eyed about the risks we 101 00:04:51,280 --> 00:04:54,330 planned for every contingency , but I 102 00:04:54,330 --> 00:04:56,330 always promised the american people 103 00:04:56,330 --> 00:04:58,497 that I will be straight with you . The 104 00:04:58,497 --> 00:05:01,950 truth is this did unfold more quickly 105 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,110 than we had anticipated . So what's 106 00:05:05,110 --> 00:05:08,240 happened , Afghanistan political 107 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:11,050 leaders gave up and fled the country . 108 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,960 The Afghan military collapsed sometime 109 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,860 without trying to fight . If anything , 110 00:05:20,340 --> 00:05:22,229 the developments of the past week 111 00:05:22,229 --> 00:05:24,630 reinforced that ending us military 112 00:05:24,630 --> 00:05:27,730 involvement . Afghanistan now was the 113 00:05:27,730 --> 00:05:31,660 right decision . American troops cannot 114 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:35,690 and should not be fighting in a war and 115 00:05:35,690 --> 00:05:38,430 dine in a war that Afghan forces are 116 00:05:38,430 --> 00:05:40,560 not willing to fight for themselves . 117 00:05:41,740 --> 00:05:45,710 We spent over a trillion dollars . We 118 00:05:45,710 --> 00:05:47,932 trained and equipped an afghan military 119 00:05:47,932 --> 00:05:51,880 force of some 300,000 120 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,660 strong , incredibly well equipped , 121 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,040 a force larger in size than the 122 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,262 militaries of many of our NATO allies . 123 00:06:02,540 --> 00:06:05,360 We gave them every tool they could need . 124 00:06:06,140 --> 00:06:09,130 We pay their salaries provided for the 125 00:06:09,130 --> 00:06:10,963 maintenance of their air force . 126 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,640 Something that Taliban doesn't have 127 00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,310 Taliban does not have an air force , we 128 00:06:16,310 --> 00:06:19,540 provided close air support . We gave 129 00:06:19,540 --> 00:06:21,900 them every chance to determine their 130 00:06:21,900 --> 00:06:25,760 own future . We could not provide them 131 00:06:26,540 --> 00:06:28,660 was the will to fight for that future 132 00:06:30,540 --> 00:06:32,762 with some very brave and capable Afghan 133 00:06:32,762 --> 00:06:35,840 special forces units and soldiers . But 134 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:38,840 if Afghanistan is unable to mount any 135 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:41,060 real resistance of the Taliban now 136 00:06:41,740 --> 00:06:45,050 there is no chance that one year , 137 00:06:45,540 --> 00:06:48,670 one more year , five more years or 20 138 00:06:48,670 --> 00:06:51,210 more years the U . S . Military boots 139 00:06:51,210 --> 00:06:53,099 on the ground would have made any 140 00:06:53,099 --> 00:06:57,080 difference . Here's what I believe to 141 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:00,890 my core . It is wrong to order american 142 00:07:00,890 --> 00:07:04,770 troops to step up in Afghanistan's own 143 00:07:04,810 --> 00:07:08,450 armed forces would not . The 144 00:07:08,450 --> 00:07:11,150 political leaders of Afghanistan were 145 00:07:11,150 --> 00:07:13,372 unable to come together for the good of 146 00:07:13,372 --> 00:07:16,050 their people unable to negotiate for 147 00:07:16,050 --> 00:07:18,217 the future of their country . When the 148 00:07:18,217 --> 00:07:20,439 chips were down , they would never have 149 00:07:20,439 --> 00:07:22,960 done so while U . S . Troops remained 150 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,320 in Afghanistan bearing the brunt of the 151 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,750 fighting for them . Mhm . 152 00:07:29,140 --> 00:07:31,260 And our true strategic competitors 153 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:34,180 china and Russia . I would love nothing 154 00:07:34,180 --> 00:07:36,402 more than the United States to continue 155 00:07:36,402 --> 00:07:38,236 to funnel billions of dollars in 156 00:07:38,236 --> 00:07:40,013 resources and attention and the 157 00:07:40,013 --> 00:07:42,180 stabilizing Afghanistan indefinitely . 158 00:07:42,740 --> 00:07:45,970 Mhm . When I hosted President Ghani and 159 00:07:45,970 --> 00:07:48,192 Chairman Abdullah at the White House in 160 00:07:48,192 --> 00:07:51,270 june and again when I spoke by phone to 161 00:07:51,270 --> 00:07:53,860 Ghani in july we had very frank 162 00:07:53,860 --> 00:07:56,890 conversations , we talked about how 163 00:07:56,890 --> 00:07:59,130 Afghanistan should prepare to fight 164 00:07:59,140 --> 00:08:01,870 their civil wars . After the U . S . 165 00:08:01,870 --> 00:08:04,700 Military departed to clean up the 166 00:08:04,700 --> 00:08:06,860 corruption in government so the 167 00:08:06,860 --> 00:08:09,400 government could function for the 168 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,210 Afghan people . We talked extensively 169 00:08:12,210 --> 00:08:14,266 about the need for Afghan leaders to 170 00:08:14,266 --> 00:08:16,960 unite politically . They fail to do any 171 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,750 of them . Yeah . I also urge them to 172 00:08:19,750 --> 00:08:23,140 engage in diplomacy to seek a political 173 00:08:23,140 --> 00:08:26,610 settlement with the Taliban . This 174 00:08:26,610 --> 00:08:30,150 advice was flatly refused . Mr 175 00:08:30,150 --> 00:08:32,900 Ghani insists that the Afghan forces 176 00:08:32,900 --> 00:08:35,940 would fight , but obviously he was 177 00:08:35,940 --> 00:08:39,450 wrong . Fine 178 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:42,410 left again to ask of those who argue 179 00:08:42,410 --> 00:08:46,060 that we should stay . How many more 180 00:08:46,060 --> 00:08:48,227 generations of America's daughters and 181 00:08:48,227 --> 00:08:50,980 sons would you have me send to fight 182 00:08:50,980 --> 00:08:54,720 Afghans Afghanistan's civil war when 183 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:58,130 Afghan troops will not , how many more 184 00:08:58,130 --> 00:09:00,760 lives american lives ? Is it worth 185 00:09:01,940 --> 00:09:04,107 how many endless rows of headstones at 186 00:09:04,107 --> 00:09:07,960 Arlington National Cemetery ? I'm 187 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:11,880 clear on my answer I will not repeat 188 00:09:11,890 --> 00:09:14,001 the mistakes we've made in the past . 189 00:09:14,940 --> 00:09:16,718 Mistake of staying and fighting 190 00:09:16,718 --> 00:09:19,230 indefinitely in a conflict that is not 191 00:09:19,230 --> 00:09:21,397 in the national interest of the United 192 00:09:21,397 --> 00:09:24,330 States , of doubling down on the civil 193 00:09:24,330 --> 00:09:27,250 war in a foreign country of attempting 194 00:09:27,250 --> 00:09:29,472 to remake a country through the endless 195 00:09:29,472 --> 00:09:31,750 military deployments of U . S . Forces . 196 00:09:33,210 --> 00:09:35,043 Those are the mistakes we cannot 197 00:09:35,043 --> 00:09:38,350 continue to repeat because we have 198 00:09:38,350 --> 00:09:40,294 significant vital interests in the 199 00:09:40,294 --> 00:09:43,260 world that we cannot afford to ignore . 200 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:47,407 I also want to acknowledge how painful 201 00:09:47,407 --> 00:09:49,960 this is to so many of us . The scenes 202 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:52,990 were seen in Afghanistan . Their gut 203 00:09:52,990 --> 00:09:55,870 wrenching particularly for our veterans 204 00:09:56,540 --> 00:09:59,160 our diplomats humanitarian workers for 205 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:01,970 anyone who has spent time on the ground 206 00:10:01,970 --> 00:10:04,026 working to support the Afghan people 207 00:10:05,540 --> 00:10:07,651 for those who have lost loved ones in 208 00:10:07,651 --> 00:10:10,020 Afghanistan and for americans have 209 00:10:10,020 --> 00:10:11,964 fought and served in the country , 210 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,400 serve our country in Afghanistan . This 211 00:10:16,400 --> 00:10:20,150 is deeply , deeply personal . It is for 212 00:10:20,150 --> 00:10:23,050 me as well . I've worked on these 213 00:10:23,050 --> 00:10:25,990 issues as long as anyone . I've been 214 00:10:25,990 --> 00:10:28,450 throughout Afghanistan during this war . 215 00:10:28,460 --> 00:10:30,860 While the war was going on from Kabul 216 00:10:30,860 --> 00:10:34,640 to Kandahar to the Kunar Valley . I've 217 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:36,600 traveled there on four different 218 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,220 occasions . I met with the people I 219 00:10:40,220 --> 00:10:43,050 spoken to the leaders . I spent time 220 00:10:43,050 --> 00:10:45,700 with our troops and I came to 221 00:10:45,700 --> 00:10:49,060 understand firsthand what was it was 222 00:10:49,060 --> 00:10:52,490 not possible in Afghanistan . So now 223 00:10:52,490 --> 00:10:54,950 we're focused on what is possible . 224 00:10:56,340 --> 00:10:58,507 We will continue to support the afghan 225 00:10:58,507 --> 00:11:00,550 people . We will lead with our 226 00:11:00,550 --> 00:11:02,670 diplomacy or international influence 227 00:11:02,670 --> 00:11:05,210 and humanitarian aid will continue to 228 00:11:05,210 --> 00:11:06,988 push for regional diplomacy and 229 00:11:06,988 --> 00:11:08,932 engagement to prevent violence and 230 00:11:08,932 --> 00:11:12,130 instability will continue to speak out 231 00:11:12,140 --> 00:11:14,084 for the basic rights of the Afghan 232 00:11:14,084 --> 00:11:17,360 people of women and girls . Just as we 233 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:19,650 speak out all over the world . 234 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,440 I've been clear , the human rights must 235 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,551 be the center of our foreign policy , 236 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,900 not the periphery , but the way to do . 237 00:11:29,900 --> 00:11:31,844 It is not through endless military 238 00:11:31,844 --> 00:11:35,560 deployments . It's with our diplomacy 239 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,070 or economic tools and rallying the 240 00:11:39,070 --> 00:11:42,920 world to join us . Let me 241 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:44,642 lay out the current mission in 242 00:11:44,642 --> 00:11:48,540 Afghanistan . I was asked to authorize 243 00:11:48,540 --> 00:11:51,160 and I did 6000 US troops to deploy to 244 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:53,500 Afghanistan for the purpose of 245 00:11:53,500 --> 00:11:55,780 assisting in the departure of us and 246 00:11:55,780 --> 00:11:57,502 allied civilian personnel from 247 00:11:57,502 --> 00:12:00,920 Afghanistan and to evacuate our Afghan 248 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:04,250 allies and vulnerable afghans to safety 249 00:12:04,260 --> 00:12:08,190 outside of Afghanistan . Our troops are 250 00:12:08,190 --> 00:12:10,710 working to secure the airfield and 251 00:12:10,710 --> 00:12:13,480 ensure continued operation . Both the 252 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:17,150 civilian and military flights we're 253 00:12:17,150 --> 00:12:20,720 taking over air traffic control . We 254 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:23,870 have safely shut down our embassy and 255 00:12:23,870 --> 00:12:27,080 transferred our diplomats . Our our 256 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:30,660 diplomatic presence is now consolidated 257 00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:33,470 at the airport as well . Over the 258 00:12:33,470 --> 00:12:35,570 coming days , we intend to transport 259 00:12:35,570 --> 00:12:38,370 out thousands of american citizens have 260 00:12:38,370 --> 00:12:40,648 been living and working in Afghanistan . 261 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:43,830 We'll also continue to support the safe 262 00:12:43,830 --> 00:12:46,550 departure of civilian personnel . The 263 00:12:46,550 --> 00:12:49,210 civilian personnel of our allies who 264 00:12:49,210 --> 00:12:51,043 are still serving in Afghanistan 265 00:12:52,240 --> 00:12:55,350 Operation allies , refugee which I 266 00:12:55,350 --> 00:12:57,910 announced back in july has already 267 00:12:57,910 --> 00:13:00,210 moved 2000 afghans are eligible for 268 00:13:00,210 --> 00:13:02,650 special immigration visas and their 269 00:13:02,650 --> 00:13:05,590 families to the United States In the 270 00:13:05,590 --> 00:13:08,170 coming days , U . S . Military will 271 00:13:08,170 --> 00:13:11,230 provide assistance to move to move more 272 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:13,680 s ivy eligible afghans and their 273 00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:16,540 families out of Afghanistan . We're 274 00:13:16,540 --> 00:13:18,740 also expanding refugee access to cover 275 00:13:18,750 --> 00:13:20,972 other vulnerable afghans who worked for 276 00:13:20,972 --> 00:13:24,490 embassy , US non government agencies 277 00:13:24,500 --> 00:13:27,460 or US non governmental organizations 278 00:13:28,540 --> 00:13:31,540 and afghans who otherwise are at great 279 00:13:31,540 --> 00:13:34,910 risk in U . S . News agencies . I know 280 00:13:34,910 --> 00:13:37,132 there are concerns about why we did not 281 00:13:37,132 --> 00:13:40,050 begin evacuating afghans civilians 282 00:13:40,050 --> 00:13:43,550 sooner . Part of the answer and some of 283 00:13:43,550 --> 00:13:45,620 the afghans did not want to leave 284 00:13:45,620 --> 00:13:48,340 earlier . Still hopeful for their 285 00:13:48,340 --> 00:13:50,960 country and part of it because the 286 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:53,440 afghan government and its supporters 287 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:55,551 discouraged us from organizing a mass 288 00:13:55,551 --> 00:13:57,740 exodus . To avoid triggering as they 289 00:13:57,740 --> 00:14:00,760 said , a crisis of confidence . 290 00:14:02,940 --> 00:14:05,030 American troops are performing this 291 00:14:05,030 --> 00:14:07,940 mission as professionally and as 292 00:14:07,940 --> 00:14:10,780 effectively as they always do . But it 293 00:14:10,780 --> 00:14:14,130 is not without risks . As we carry out 294 00:14:14,130 --> 00:14:16,900 this departure , we have made it clear 295 00:14:16,900 --> 00:14:19,910 to the Taliban if they attack our 296 00:14:19,910 --> 00:14:22,960 personnel or disrupt our operation , 297 00:14:24,140 --> 00:14:26,820 the U . S . Presence will be swift and 298 00:14:26,820 --> 00:14:29,860 the response will be swift and forceful . 299 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:32,562 We will defend our people with 300 00:14:32,562 --> 00:14:36,120 devastating force if necessary . Our 301 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,010 current military mission . We shorten 302 00:14:39,010 --> 00:14:42,590 time , lemonades but scope and 303 00:14:42,590 --> 00:14:45,580 focused on its objectives . Get our 304 00:14:45,580 --> 00:14:47,550 people and our allies as safely as 305 00:14:47,550 --> 00:14:50,580 quickly as possible . And once we have 306 00:14:50,580 --> 00:14:53,020 completed this mission , we will 307 00:14:53,020 --> 00:14:56,340 conclude our military withdrawal will 308 00:14:56,350 --> 00:14:59,710 end America's longest war After 309 00:14:59,710 --> 00:15:02,260 20 long years of bloodshed . 310 00:15:04,740 --> 00:15:07,820 The events we're seeing now are sadly 311 00:15:07,820 --> 00:15:11,630 proof no amount of military force would 312 00:15:11,630 --> 00:15:14,910 ever deliver a stable united , secure 313 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:17,470 Afghanistan , as known in history as 314 00:15:17,470 --> 00:15:20,420 the graveyard of empires . What's 315 00:15:20,420 --> 00:15:23,280 happening now . Could just as easily 316 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:26,260 happened five years ago For 15 years in 317 00:15:26,260 --> 00:15:28,750 the future . You have to be honest , 318 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:31,810 our mission in Afghanistan is taking 319 00:15:31,810 --> 00:15:34,300 many missteps , made many missteps over 320 00:15:34,300 --> 00:15:37,860 the past two decades . I'm now the 4th 321 00:15:37,860 --> 00:15:40,480 American president . To preside over 322 00:15:40,480 --> 00:15:42,647 war in Afghanistan . two Democrats and 323 00:15:42,647 --> 00:15:45,640 two Republicans . I will not pass this 324 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:47,910 responsibly on responsibility onto a 325 00:15:47,910 --> 00:15:50,760 5th president . I will not mislead the 326 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,400 american people by claiming that just a 327 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:55,860 little more time in Afghanistan will 328 00:15:55,860 --> 00:15:59,230 make all the difference . Nor will I 329 00:15:59,230 --> 00:16:01,397 shrink from my share of responsibility 330 00:16:01,397 --> 00:16:03,710 for where we are today and how we must 331 00:16:03,710 --> 00:16:07,220 move forward from here . I am president 332 00:16:07,230 --> 00:16:10,090 of the United States of America and the 333 00:16:10,090 --> 00:16:11,560 buck stops with me . 334 00:16:14,140 --> 00:16:16,710 I'm deeply saddened by the facts we now 335 00:16:16,710 --> 00:16:20,700 face . But I do not regret my decision 336 00:16:20,700 --> 00:16:22,533 to end America's war fighting in 337 00:16:22,533 --> 00:16:25,740 Afghanistan and maintain a laser focus 338 00:16:25,740 --> 00:16:28,420 on our counterterrorism missions there 339 00:16:28,430 --> 00:16:31,630 and other parts of the world . Our 340 00:16:31,630 --> 00:16:34,270 mission to degrade the terrorist threat 341 00:16:34,270 --> 00:16:36,650 of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and kill 342 00:16:36,650 --> 00:16:40,360 Osama bin laden was a success . Our 343 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,580 decades long effort to overcome 344 00:16:42,580 --> 00:16:44,950 centuries of history and permanently 345 00:16:44,950 --> 00:16:47,360 changed and remake Afghanistan was not 346 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,062 and I wrote and believed it never could 347 00:16:50,062 --> 00:16:53,680 be . I cannot and will not ask our 348 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:57,220 troops to fight on endlessly another in 349 00:16:57,220 --> 00:16:59,900 another country's civil war , taking 350 00:16:59,900 --> 00:17:02,590 casualties , suffering life shattering 351 00:17:02,590 --> 00:17:05,460 injuries , leaving families broken by 352 00:17:05,460 --> 00:17:09,460 grief and loss . This is not in our 353 00:17:09,460 --> 00:17:13,200 national security interest . It is not 354 00:17:13,210 --> 00:17:15,990 what the american people want . It is 355 00:17:15,990 --> 00:17:18,700 not what our troops who have sacrificed 356 00:17:18,700 --> 00:17:20,589 so much over the past two decades 357 00:17:20,589 --> 00:17:23,320 deserve . I made a commitment to the 358 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:25,490 american people when I ran for 359 00:17:25,490 --> 00:17:27,790 president , but I bring America's 360 00:17:27,790 --> 00:17:29,957 military involvement Afghanistan to an 361 00:17:29,957 --> 00:17:33,360 end wall . It's been hard and messy 362 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:37,650 and yes , far from perfect . I'm 363 00:17:37,650 --> 00:17:39,920 honored that commitment . More 364 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:42,330 importantly , I made a commitment to 365 00:17:42,330 --> 00:17:44,497 the brave men and women who serve this 366 00:17:44,497 --> 00:17:46,930 nation . That I wasn't going to ask 367 00:17:46,930 --> 00:17:49,097 them to continue to risk their lives . 368 00:17:49,150 --> 00:17:51,261 And the military accident should have 369 00:17:51,261 --> 00:17:54,640 ended long ago . Our leaders did that 370 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:56,751 in Vietnam when I got here as a young 371 00:17:56,751 --> 00:18:00,270 man . I will not do it in Afghanistan . 372 00:18:01,340 --> 00:18:03,562 I know my decision will be criticized , 373 00:18:04,740 --> 00:18:06,640 but I would rather take all that 374 00:18:06,650 --> 00:18:10,060 criticism And passed this decision on 375 00:18:10,060 --> 00:18:12,250 to another president of the United 376 00:18:12,250 --> 00:18:15,270 States yet another on the 5th 1 . Mhm . 377 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:17,951 Because it's the right one , it's the 378 00:18:17,951 --> 00:18:20,050 right decision for our people . The 379 00:18:20,050 --> 00:18:22,440 right one for our brave service members 380 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,773 who risk their lives serving our nation . 381 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:27,184 That's the right one for America . 382 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,420 Thank you . May God protect our troops , 383 00:18:31,420 --> 00:18:34,380 our diplomats and all brave americans 384 00:18:34,380 --> 00:18:37,750 serving in harm's way . Yeah . 385 00:18:40,540 --> 00:18:42,360 Mhm . Hi .