By Reuters Staff

       1 Min Read

       U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he arrives at Fort McNair on his way back to the White House to deliver a statement on Afghanistan, in Washington, U.S., August 16, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis

       WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said on Monday the mission of the United States in Afghanistan was never supposed to be nation building as he defended his decision to pull out U.S. troops from the country.

       Thousands of civilians desperate to flee Afghanistan thronged Kabul airport’s single runway on Monday after the Taliban seized the capital, prompting the United States to suspend evacuations as it came under mounting criticism at home.

       Reporting by Steve Holland and Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall

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