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Fewer than 200 Americans left behind in Afghanistan, says Secretary of State
President Joe Biden will address the nation following the US withdrawal from a 20-year war in Afghanistan, after the last American troops departed from Kabul on Monday night.
The nation’s longest war – in which nearly 50,000 Afghan civilians, 2,500 US service members, and thousands of Afghan military, police and Taliban fighters were killed – “has ended,” the president said in a statement on 30 August.
His top military officials believed that “ending our military mission was the best way to protect the lives of our troops, and secure the prospects of civilian departures for those who want to leave Afghanistan in the weeks and months ahead,” he added.
At home, the president has approved federal disaster aid and dispatched emergency response in the wake of Hurricane Ida’s devastation across southeast Louisiana, where thousands of homes were damaged by the now-dissipated storm, leaving more than 1 million homes without power.
The president pledged the federal government to “stand with you and the people of the Gulf as long as it takes for you to recover,” he said on Monday.
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Key Points What time does Biden speak on Afghanistan? White House ‘committed’ to getting out remaining Americans
Show latest update 1630430123 Facebook to de-emphasise political posts on news feed in move that could diminish right-wing media influence
Facebook’s “news feed” will feed less news to its users under a plan to de-emphasise content considered too political or too current.
The company confirmed in a blog post it would expand its trial to scale back breaking news and political content in and beyond the United States after receiving “positive feedback” on the changes.
The move was first reported by Axios, which said the changes could reduce traffic to news publishers or accounts that post too much political content, based on negative user feedback.
Justin Vallejo has more:
Facebook to de-emphasise political posts on news feed in blow to right-wing media Changes will reduce traffic to news publishers on the platform, which is dominated by conservative outlets like Ben Shapiro’s The Daily Wire.
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 18:15
1630429233 Rep Peter Meijer wants America to stop believing its own foreign policy propaganda
Republican Rep Peter Meijer of Michigan is worried that the United States could repeat its mistakes in Afghanistan – if it continues believing its own foreign policy propaganda.
“I think one of the reasons why the past couple of weeks of Afghanistan have been such a shock to some and such a disappointing confirmation to others is because of that disconnect between reality and how that reality is projected,” he told The Independent.
Eric Garcia has more:
Rep Peter Meijer wants America to stop believing its own propaganda on Afghanistan The freshman Republican also defended his trip to Afghanistan and stopped short of calling for Biden’s resignation or impeachment
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 18:00
1630428866 Biden to discuss ‘tough decisions’ during administration leading to war’s end, White House says
White House press secretary Jen Psaki will address reporters at 3.30pm EST following Biden’s remarks at 2.45pm.
His speech will “express his thanks to the commanders and service members who executed a dangerous mission in Kabul and airlifted more than 124,000 people to safety” and “offer thanks to the veterans and volunteers who supported this effort,” she said in a statement.
Biden will also “lay out his decision to end the war in Afghanistan after 20 years, including the tough decisions he made over the last seven months since he took office to bring the war to a close.”
“He will make clear that as President, he will approach our foreign policy through the prism of what is in our national interests, including how best to continue to keep the American people safe,” she said.
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 17:54
1630427407 ‘Please, please help’: How I witnessed the Afghanistan war’s bitter end
After decades of reporting from Afghanistan, Kim Sengupta reflects on at the west’s string of failures and the dark, uncertain future facing those left behind:
‘Please, please help’: How I witnessed the Afghanistan war’s bitter end After decades of reporting from Afghanistan, Kim Sengupta reflects on at the west’s string of failures and the dark, uncertain future facing those left behind
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 17:30
1630425271 Pentagon tweets photo of Maj Gen Christopher Donahue, the last US soldier to leave Afghanistan
Maj Gen Christopher Donahue, photographed through a night-vision lens preparing to board a C-17 cargo, was identified by the Pentagon as officially the last US service member to leave Afghanistan.
Pentagon tweets photo of Maj Gen Chris Donahue, the last soldier to leave Afghanistan As the US troops left Kabul airport, the Taliban celebrated with gunfire
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 16:54
1630424201 Senate approves bill to provide assistance to Americans returning from Afghanistan
With Kamala Harris presiding, the US Senate quickly passed the Emergency Repatriation Assistance for Returning Americans Act without objections.
The measure would the Social Security Act to set up financial aid for repatriating Americans, setting aside up to $10m over the next two years.
Biden is expected to sign it into law.
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 16:36
1630422345 Last US forces leave Afghanistan, bringing an end to a 20-year war launched in aftermath of September 11 attacks
America’s longest war cost the lives of nearly 50,000 Afghan civilians, 2,500 US service members, 66,000 Afghan national military and police, 457 British armed forces personnel, and 50,000 Taliban and opposition fighters.
It was a war overseen by four US presidents, fought by two generations of Americans, and at a cost of an estimated $2 trillion. It ended with the defeat of a superpower by an army of guerrilla fighters, and the collapse of a decades-long state-building project in a matter of days.
The Independent’s Richard Hall on the beginning of the end of the 20-year war:
Last US forces leave Afghanistan, bringing an end to a 20-year war ‘Now, our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended,’ President Joe Biden says in statement
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 16:05
1630422287 National security adviser ‘committed’ to getting out remaining Americans
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday that the US “will get out any person who wants to get out,” as an estimated 100 to 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan and want to leave, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“We continue our mission to get them out, it’s just that it has shifted from a military mission to a diplomatic mission,” Mr Sullivan said. “The small number that remain, we are committed to getting out and we will work through every available diplomatic means with the enormous leverage that we have and that the international community has to make that happen.”
Between 5,500 and 6,000 Americans were evacuated, while those who remain were contacted “repeatedly” to make their way to the airport or point of contact, he said.
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 16:04
1630422164 Biden to deliver remarks on Afghanistan withdrawal
The president will address the nation to affirm his commitment to withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan by a 31 August deadline.
He will deliver remarks at 2.45pm EST.
In a statement on Monday, he said: “I will address the American people on my decision not to extend our presence in Afghanistan beyond August 31. For now, I will report that it was the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs and of all of our commanders on the ground to end our airlift mission as planned. Their view was that ending our military mission was the best way to protect the lives of our troops, and secure the prospects of civilian departures for those who want to leave Afghanistan in the weeks and months ahead.”
Alex Woodward 31 August 2021 16:02