Sec. Blinken: ‘Pres. Biden Faced a Choice Between Ending the War or Escalating It’ Because of Trump

Sec Of State Antony ░░░░░░░░ yesterday Blinken When President ░░░░░░░░ took office in January ░░░░░░░░ inherited an agreement that ░░░░░░░░ predecessor had reached with ░░░░░░░░ Taliban to remove all ░░░░░░░░ forces from Afghanistan by ░░░░░░░░ 1st of this year ░░░░░░░░ part of that agreement ░░░░░░░░ previous administration pressed the ░░░░░░░░ government to release 5 ░░░░░░░░ Taliban prisoners including some ░░░░░░░░ war commanders Meanwhile it ░░░░░░░░ our own troop presence ░░░░░░░░ 2 500 troops In ░░░░░░░░ the Taliban agreed to ░░░░░░░░ attacking U S and ░░░░░░░░ forces and to refrain ░░░░░░░░ threatening Afghanistan s major ░░░░░░░░ But the Taliban continued ░░░░░░░░ relentless March on remote ░░░░░░░░ on checkpoints on villages ░░░░░░░░ districts as well as ░░░░░░░░ major roads connecting them ░░░░░░░░ January 2021 the Taliban ░░░░░░░░ in the strongest military ░░░░░░░░ it had been in ░░░░░░░░ 9 11 and we ░░░░░░░░ the smallest number of ░░░░░░░░ on the ground since ░░░░░░░░ As a result upon ░░░░░░░░ office President Biden immediately ░░░░░░░░ a choice between ending ░░░░░░░░ war or escalating it ░░░░░░░░ he not followed through ░░░░░░░░ his predecessor s commitment ░░░░░░░░ on our forces and ░░░░░░░░ of our allies would ░░░░░░░░ resumed and the Taliban ░░░░░░░░ assault on Afghanistan s ░░░░░░░░ cities would have commenced ░░░░░░░░ would have required sending ░░░░░░░░ more U S forces ░░░░░░░░ Afghanistan to defend themselves ░░░░░░░░ prevent a Taliban takeover ░░░░░░░░ casualties and with at ░░░░░░░░ the prospect of restoring ░░░░░░░░ stalemate and remaining stuck ░░░░░░░░ Afghanistan under fire indefinitely.”