United States President Joe Biden snapped at reporters during a Friday interview when he was asked about the state of Afghanistan where American troops are continuing their withdrawal and the U.S. has officially handed over a major airbase.
After a third time being asked about the slow process of ending the Afghanistan war, Biden refused to answer and said he wanted to talk about "happy things." Later on, the Democrat announced he would not be answering any more questions regarding the predominantly Muslim country.
Fourth of July Weekend
The Democratic leader argued that it was the Fourth of July and that he was being asked questions he would answer again the next week. Biden said he wanted to celebrate the weekend because of the many great things that were happening.
The last American troops left the Bagram Air Base, a U.S. defense official reportedly said on Thursday. The withdrawal of the soldiers marked the long-running presence of the United States in war-ridden Afghanistan. On Friday, American authorities officially handed over Bagram to the Afghan military.
Rohullah Ahamadzai, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, announced the official news. American troops have not yet finished the process of fully withdrawing but are expected to accomplish it soon, CNN reported.
For years, the Pentagon has been slowly pulling troops from Afghanistan, and the Biden administration has sped up the process, committing to withdrawing the last troop by September 11 at the latest. The continued withdrawal of troops showed that the process would be complete far earlier than planned.
During a later press briefing, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki argued that Biden was only trying to lift up the country's mood to enjoy the Fourth of July weekend. She noted the Democrat's outburst was not related to Afghanistan or the situation in the country.
Amid criticisms on Biden's remarks, Psaki said many were overreacting to his statements. She said the Democrat had already answered several questions regarding Afghanistan and was still asked another.
Withdrawal of American Troops
The U.S. president made the announcement of the completion of withdrawing all American troops from Afghanistan would be finished before the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Officials finalized plans of pulling out all U.S. troops from the country after the end of Donald Trump's administration, the New York Post reported.
The American government's plans to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan have been going on for nearly 20 years. However, the Afghan government has expressed its frustration that the move could allow the Taliban to overrun the country within months after the last American troop goes home.
Biden announced in April that the White House was confident in the Afghan government's capability of governing its own country. The Democrat said the war in the region has been going on for nearly two decades. Although Biden said the United States would provide some assistance when Afghanistan needs it, he noted the government would have to manage their country on their own, Politico reported.
Related Article:
Boy Scouts Reach $850 Million Settlement With Over 84,000 Victims in 40 Years Sexual Abuse Case
