PoliticoJoe Biden unveils US withdrawal from Afghanistan in speech heavy on symbolism

From the September 11 deadline to the Treaty Room where the announcement was made, key details mark what could be one of the president’s defining decisions

Biden earlier spoke to ex-president George W. Bush, who launched the war in Afghanistan, in a show of respect nearly unthinkable in the Trump years

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US President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on Wednesday about the withdrawal of remaining US troops from Afghanistan. Photo: TNS

Published: 4:04am, 15 Apr 2021Updated: 7:38am, 15 Apr 2021

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nick Niedzwiadek on politico.com on April 14, 2021.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday formally announced plans to end America’s military presence in Afghanistan by September, in a White House address heavy on symbolism and marking one of his first defining decisions as commander-in-chief.

“I’ve concluded it’s time to end America’s longest war,” Biden said. “It’s time for American troops to come home.”

The administration had earlier this week signalled that the withdrawal timeline would coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks, which have indelibly shaped American politics and foreign policy in the years since.

“We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago,” Biden said. “That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.”

Biden’s address was given from the Treaty Room, the same area where then President George W. Bush announced that the military had launched airstrikes that marked the beginning of the US war in Afghanistan.