Name: President Biden delivers remarks on US troops and Afghanistan
Uploaded: 2021-04-14T14:08:00-0400
Duration: 974140
Description: President Biden discusses plans and timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

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President Biden discusses plans and timeline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan. 

<p>strikes on terrorist training camps in Afghanistan. It was just weeks just weeks after the terrorist attack on our nation that killed 2,977 innocent souls that turned lower Manhattan into a disaster area destroyed part of the pentagon and made hallowed ground of the field in shanksville pennsylvania and sparked an american promise that we would never forget. I went to Afghanistan in 2001 to root out al Qaeda to prevent future terrorist attacks against the United States plan from Afghanistan. Our objective is clear because it was just our NATO allies and partners rallied beside us and I supported that military action along with overwhelming majority of the members of Congress. More than seven years later, In 2008 weeks before we swore the oath of office, President Obama and I were about to swear President Obama asked me to travel to Afghanistan and report back on the state of the war in Afghanistan. I flew to Afghanistan to the Kunar Valley, rugged mountainous region on the border with Pakistan. What I saw on that trip reinforced my conviction, but only the Afghans have the right and responsibility to leave their country and that more an endless american military force could not create or sustain a durable afghan government. I believed that our presence in Afghanistan should be focused on the reason we went in the first place to ensure Afghanistan would not be used as a base from which to attack our homeland. Again, we did that. We accomplished that objective. I said among with others, we'd follow Osama bin laden to the gates of hell if need be, that's exactly what we did and we got him. It took us close to 10 years to put President Obama commitment in the form and that's exactly what happened. Osama bin laden was gone. That was 10 years ago. Think about that. We deliver justice to bin laden a decade ago and we've stayed in Afghanistan for a decade since. Since then, our reasons for remaining in Afghanistan become increasingly unclear even as the terrorist threat that we went to fight evolved Over the past 20 years, the threat has become more dispersed metastasizing around the globe. Al Shabaab in Somalia, al Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula, al Nusra in Syria, ISIS, attempting to create a caliph fight in Syria and Iraq and establishing affiliates in multiple countries in Africa and Asia with the terror threat. Now in many places keeping thousands of troops grounded and concentrated in just one country and the cost of billions each year makes little sense to me and to our leaders. We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create ideal conditions for the withdrawal and expecting a different result. I'm now the 4th United States President to preside over american troop presence in Afghanistan. two Republicans, 2 Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility onto a 5th after consulting closely with our allies and partners with our military leaders and intelligence personnel, with our diplomats and our development experts with the Congress and the vice president as well as with Mr Ghani and many others around the world. I've concluded that it's time to end America's longest war. It's time for american troops to come home. When I came to office, I inherited a diplomatic agreement duly negotiated between the government and the United States and the taliban That all US. forces would be out of Afghanistan by May one 2021 Just three months after my inauguration. That's what we inherited. That commitment is perhaps not what I would have negotiated myself, but it was an agreement made by the United States government and that means something. So in keeping with that agreement with our national interest, the United States will begin our final withdrawal, begin it on May one of this year will not conduct a hasty rush to the exit. We'll do it, we'll do it responsibly deliberately and safely and we will do it in full coordination with our allies and partners who now have more forces in Afghanistan than we do. And the taliban should know that if they attack us as we draw down, we will defend ourselves and our partners with all the tools at our disposal. Our allies and partners have stood beside us shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan for almost 20 years and we're deeply grateful for the contributions they have made to our shared mission and for the sacrifices they born. The plan has long been in together out together U. S. Troops as well as forces deployed by our NATO allies and operational partners Will be out of Afghanistan before we mark the 20th anniversary of that heinous attack on September 11th. But but will not take our eye off the terrorist threat, will reorganize our counterterrorism capabilities and the substantial assets in the region to prevent re emerges of terrorists. A threat to our homeland from over the horizon will hold the Taliban accountable for its commitment not to allow any terrorist to threaten the United States or its allies from Afghan soil. The Afghan government has made that commitment to us as well and we'll focus our full attention on the threat we face today. In my direction, my team is refining our national strategy to monitor and disrupt significant terrorist threats not only in Afghanistan but anywhere they may arise and they're in africa, europe, the Middle East and elsewhere. I spoke yesterday with President Bush to inform him of my decision. Well, he and I have had many disagreements over policy throughout the years. We're absolutely united in our respect and support for the valor courage and integrity of the women and men of the United States armed forces who served. I'm immensely grateful for the bravery and backbone that they have shown through nearly two decades of combat employment. We, as a nation, are forever indebted to them and their families. You all know that less than one of Americans servant armed forces Remaining 99 and we owe them. We owe them. They have never backed down from a single mission that we've asked of them. I've witnessed their bravery firsthand during my visits to Afghanistan. They have never wavered in the resolve. They paid a tremendous price on our behalf and they have the thanks of a grateful nation. We will not stay involved in Afghanistan militarily. Our diplomatic and humanitarian work will continue, will continue to support the government of Afghanistan. We will keep providing assistance to the Afghan national defenses and security forces. Along with our partners, We have trained and equipped a standing force of over 300,000 Afghan personnel today and hundreds of thousands over the past two decades and they'll continue to fight valiantly on behalf of the Afghans. At great cost. They'll support peace talks as we will support peace talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban facilitated by the United Nations and will continue to support the rights of Afghan women and girls by maintaining significant humanitarian and development assistance. And we'll ask other countries, other countries in the region to do more to support Afghanistan, especially Pakistan as well as Russia, china, India and Turkey. They all have a significant stake in the stable future for Afghanistan over the next few months will also determine what a continued U. S. Diplomatic presence in Afghanistan will look like, including how will ensure the security of our diplomats. Look, I know there are many who will loudly insist that diplomacy cannot succeed without a robust U. S. Military presence to stand as leverage. We gave that argument a decade. It's never proved effective, Not only had 98,000 troops in Afghanistan and that when we were down to a few 1000 our diplomacy does not hinge on having boots in harm's way U. S. Boots on the ground. We have to change that. Thank you. American troops shouldn't be used as a bargaining chip between warring parties in other countries. You know, that's nothing more than a recipe for keeping american troops in Afghanistan indefinitely. I also know there are many who argue that we should stay stay fighting in Afghanistan because withdrawal would damage America's credibility. A week in America's influence in the world. I believe the exact opposite is true. We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago. That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021. Rather than return to war with the Taliban, we have to focus on the challenges that are in front of us. We have to track and disrupt terrorist networks and operations that spread far beyond Afghanistan. Since 9 11, we have to shore up american competitiveness to meet the stiff competition we're facing from an increasingly assertive china. We have to strengthen our alliances and work with like minded partners to ensure that the rules of international norms that govern cyber threats and emerging technologies that will shape our future are grounded in our democratic values, values, not those of the autocrats. We have to defeat this pandemic and strengthen global health system to prepare for the next one because there will be another pandemic, you know, Will be much more formidable through our adversaries and competitors over the long term if we fight the battles for the next 20 years. Not the last 20. And finally, the main argument for staying longer is what each of my three predecessors have grappled with. No one wants to say that we should be in Afghanistan forever, but they insist now is not the right moment to leave. In 2014, NATO issued a declaration affirming that Afghan security forces would from that point on have full responsibility for those countries. Security by the end of that year. That was seven years ago. So when will it be at the right moment to leave? One more year, two more years, 10 more years, 10, $20, $30 billion dollars more a trillion. We've already spent. Not now. That's how we got here In this moment. There is a significant downside risks. Is saying beyond May one without a clear timetable for departure. If we instead pursue the approach, we're America us exit is tied to conditions on the ground. We have to have clear answers to the following questions. Just what conditions require to be required to allow us to depart by what means and how long would it take to achieve them if they could be achieved at all? And at what additional cost in lives and treasure? I'm not hearing any good answers to these questions and if you can't answer them in my view, we should not stay. The fact is that later today, I'm going to visit Arlington National Cemetery Section 60 And that's sacred memorial to American sacrifice. Section section 60 is where our recent war dead are buried, including many of the women and men who died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. There's no there's no comforting distance in history in section 60 the grief is raw. It's a visceral reminder of the living cost of war For the past 12 years. Ever since I became vice president, I've carried with me a card. It reminds me of the exact number of american troops killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. That exact number. Not an approximation or rounded off number because every one of those dead, our sacred human beings who left behind entire families, An exact accounting of every single solitary one needs to be had. As of the day today, there are 200 and 42,488 U. S. Troops and personnel who have died in operation enduring freedom and Operation Freedoms sentinel. Our Afghanistan conflicts, 20722 have been wounded. I'm the first president of 40 years. Who knows what it means to have a child serving in a war zone. And throughout this process my north star has been remembering what it was like when my late son Beau was deployed to Iraq, How proud he was, the service country, How insisted he was to deploy of this unit and the impact it had on him and all of us at home. We already have service members doing their duty in Afghanistan today, whose parents served in the same war. We have service members who are not yet born when our nation was attacked on 9:11 war in Afghanistan was never meant to be a multigenerational undertaking. We were attacked, we went to war with clear goals. We achieve those objectives. Bin laden is dead and al Qaeda is degraded in Iraq and Afghanistan. And it's time to end the forever war. Thank you all for listening. May God protect our troops! May God bless all those families who lost someone in this endeavor. Mhm. Right. What orders? Okay. Mhm.</p>

President Biden delivers remarks on US troops and Afghanistan

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<p>Hi, everyone. Meteorologist Anthony Baglione here on this Friday where we're still looking at some relatively warm temperatures into this afternoon. 83 is where we should hit for a high temperature. Nice and quiet for us until we get later on into late this afternoon into this evening where we're gonna watch the potential for some showers and storms coming through. Not a ton of activity for us as we head later on into tonight. There's a look at rain chances though. They go up to about 50% as we head into that evening time frame. So if you have any plans tonight, if you want to go out and get a Friday evening dinner or something like that, it might be a good idea to a, get the indoor table and then b bring along the reindeer just in case tonight. Here's a look at Future cast. So we time this out looking pretty quiet here the next couple of hours that band back to our west, it should start to weaken as it gets closer to us. It may try and restrengthen them as we get into. Like there's four o'clock you can see on Futurecast 56 o'clock or so, some of those storms could be on the stronger side and then it pushes out of here as we get later on into tonight and then we see maybe a stray shower potential still outline for tomorrow morning. Here's a look at our severe potential today. Level one out of five for most of the viewing area. What this is saying is there could be some isolated pockets where we get some stronger storms. It looks like the best chances for that would be west of us. But gusty winds would be our primary threat as we get into this evening. 78 is where we go for our Saturday. A huge temperature swing there into Sunday at 59 scattered showers are gonna be likely though, especially Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening, they do start to taper off though late Sunday night. So for the Tar Heel 10 miler, that's tomorrow morning, we are proud partners of that. We're going to see temperatures in the sixties for the majority of the forecast there. A stray showers possible, but most of the morning is looking just fine for that event. Tomorrow. We head over the next seven. We go from 83 today all the way down to 59 on Sunday. A rebound of 66 on Monday and then a nice week next week attempts in the seventies, even a few upper sixties there Thursday looking pretty quiet after we get some rainfall there to close out our weekend.</p>

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After 22 years in business, Armadillo Grill on Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh has closed.



WE HAVE MORE RAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR THE WEEKEND. I'LL SHOW YOU COMING UP. THE LIST OF DOWNTOWN RALEIGH BUSINESSES SHUTTING THEIR DOORS IS ARMADILLO GRILL IS THE LATEST TO CLOSE FOR GOOD. >> WRAL'S SEAN GALLAGHER IS IN DOWNTOWN RALEIGH TO FIND OUT WITH THIS MEANS FOR THE GLENN WOOD, SOUTH AREA. SEAN, THIS WAS A SURPRISE TO A LOT OF FOLKS. >> YEAH, THIS WAS VERY ABRUPT SO ABRUPT THAT WE'VE SEEN A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE COMING UP HERE TRYING TO GET LUNCH ON THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THEY'RE MET WITH THIS SIGN ON THE DOOR, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT THEY ARE SHUT DOWN FOR GOOD, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AT THIS LOCATION. NOW, THIS TEX MEX RESTAURANT CALL THE CORNER OF GLENWOOD AVENUE AND TUCKER STREET HOME FOR THE LAST. 22 YEARS. IN A FACEBOOK POST, THE OWNERS SAY CHANGES IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY AND RISING COSTS ARE WHY THEY'RE SHUTTING DOWN THIS LOCATION. IT'S THE LATEST IN A STRING OF STAPLE BUSINESSES RALLY, CLOSING CLOUDS BREWING, SHUT DOWN ITS RALEIGH TAVERN ON WEST STREET EARLIER THIS MONTH IN THE CAPITAL CLUB. 16 IS SHUTTING DOWN AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. OUR BELOVED REAL SAID THEY WILL LOOK FOR ANOTHER LOCATION TO SERVE THE RALEIGH COMMUNITY. BUT FOR SHARE MCCRACKEN OF GARDEN SCAPE DESIGNER FOR BUSINESSES AROUND THIS AREA. THIS IS JUST A SIGN OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. >> IT'S ELEVATING RIGHT NOW. PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO KIND OF ROLL WITH IT. NATURALLY COMING TO AN END AND MAYBE THERE WILL BE ANOTHER SPOT THAT'S PERFECT FOR THEM. BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY FEEL THAT THERE IS A CHANGE GOING ON ON THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN RALEIGH. >> AN ARMADILLO GRILL WILL ARE STILL OFFER THEIR CATERING SERVICES HERE AND THEY WILL STILL OPERATE THEIR FLAGSHIP LOCATION IN CARRBORO. BUT RENEE, THAT'S ABOUT 40 MINUTES AWAY RIGHT NEAR UNC CAMPUS. >> WHILE CUSTOMERS WILL HAVE TO DRIVE A LOT FARTHER AND WE WILL SEE WHAT ENDS UP TAKING ITS PLACE. THERE ON GLENWOOD

Glenwood South staple Armadillo Grill closes

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President Biden delivers remarks on US troops and Afghanistan

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