President Joe Biden tried on Friday to reassure Americans remaining in Afghanistan that he would get them home to the United States but also admitted he could not guarantee the mission would be a success.
“Let me be clear, any American who wants to come home, we will get you home,” he said during a speech at the White House.
But he also warned of the risks and the danger involved with the evacuation process.
“I cannot promise what the final outcome will be, or that it will be without risk of loss, but as commander-in-chief, I can assure you that I will use every resource necessary,” he said.
Taliban fighters patrol along a street in Kabul on August 17, 2021, as the Taliban moved to quickly restart the Afghan capital following their stunning takeover of Kabul and told government staff to return to work. (Photo by Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images)
Biden boasted of the size of the airlift operation and its purpose.
“This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history,” Biden said, noting that “only” the United States could successfully evacuate so many people out of Afghanistan.
Biden also walked back his assertion that he would allow American troops to remain in Afghanistan beyond the August 31 deadline to ensure all Americans were evacuated.
President Biden walks away without taking questions after delivering remarks on the worsening crisis in Afghanistan from the East Room of the White House August 16, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
“We’re going to make that judgment as we go,” he said, signaling optimism the U.S. forces could successfully get Americans out before the deadline.
He denied that Americans were having problems getting to the airport, noting that the Taliban had agreed to give them safe passage.
“We’ve made an agreement with the Taliban so far. … We know of no circumstance where American citizens are carrying American passports, trying to get through to the airport,” he said.