President Joe Biden has “not yet made a decision” on the future of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday, declining to offer a timeline for withdrawal as a May 1 deadline looms.
“The president has not made a decision at this point,” Psaki told reporters Friday about the deadline, the result of an agreement reached with the Taliban by the Trump administration last year, and said the administration remains in discussion with U.S. allies.
BIDEN READY TO QUIT AFGHANISTAN, JUST NOT YET
Psaki also restated the administration’s position of ensuring Afghanistan could “never again become a haven for terrorists.”
“Our commitment is bringing a responsible end to the conflict, removing our troops from harm’s way, ensuring that Afghanistan can never again become a haven for terrorists that would threaten the United States or any of our allies,” Psaki said. “But right now, we are consulting with our allies and partners, and the president has not made a decision.”
Biden, like presidents before him, has repeatedly called for winding down the conflict, including in 2012 when he said the U.S. would withdraw by 2014.
“VP Biden on Afghanistan: ‘We are leaving in 2014. Period,'” former President Barack Obama tweeted at the time.
The U.S. opened a peace process with the Taliban in 2018, drawing up an agreement in which the group would cease attacks on foreign forces in return for complete American withdrawal. Top Pentagon officials say that if the U.S. pulls out, so will European allies.
But the Feb. 29 Doha agreement, which negotiated the May 1 date, appears to be in jeopardy.
During his first press conference as president, Biden restated that the U.S. would withdraw from Afghanistan but extended the timeline, suggesting this could occur by 2022.
“We are not staying for a long time. We will leave,” Biden told reporters. “The question is when we leave.”
Asked if he saw troops present in Afghanistan next year, Biden said, “I can’t picture that being the case.”
He added, “It’s going to be hard to meet the May 1 deadline just in terms of tactical reasons.”
A top Democratic lawmaker signaled the administration’s changing posture on Wednesday during a panel hosted by Foreign Policy.
“It’s a general feeling that May 1 is too soon, just logistically,” said Washington Rep. Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, citing discussions with Biden officials.
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Failure to leave by May 1 is likely to complicate a withdrawal, and extend the timeline significantly.
The Taliban have said they would resume fighting the U.S. and other forces if the May 1 deadline is breached.
