Biden announces Afghanistan mission will end by Aug. 31, sooner than planned

The U.S. involvement in the Afghanistan War will end 12 days earlier than initially planned as President Joe Biden promises to provide the embattled Kabul government with diplomatic and humanitarian support, and military backup, from afar.

“When I announced our drawdown in April, I said we would be out by September, and we are on track to meet that target. Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31,” Biden said Thursday at the White House, adding “speed was safety.”