President Joe Biden has reaffirmed his stance on the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. 

The Taliban yesterday claimed control in Afghanistan when President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

“I stand squarely behind my decision,” President Biden said in an address. “There was never a good time to withdraw.”

“If Afghanistan is unable to mount any real resistance to the Taliban now, there is no chance that … one more year, five more years, or 20 more years of US military boots on the ground would have made any difference.

“Here is what I believe to my core: It is wrong to order American troops to step up when Afghanistan’s own arm forces would not.

“So I’m left again to ask of those who argue that we should stay: how many more generations of American daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghanistan’s civil war?”

However, President Biden admitted the previous days’ events “did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated”.

Press PLAY below to hear President Biden’s address

Liberal MP for Wentworth Dave Sharma told Neil Breen the withdrawal was not for “any particularly good reason”.

“The investment of lives and money and personnel and any number of things just vanished in a puff of smoke over a week.

“It will mean that US allies around the world are going to be a little more uncertain about the security assurances they’ve been given and what their own fate might be if a change of mood in Washington ever takes hold.”

Press PLAY below to hear Dave Sharma’s reaction to the unfolding events 

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