Military planes evacuating diplomats and civilians from Afghanistan resumed early Tuesday.
The evacuation efforts were stopped after the runway at Kabul airport was overrun by tens of thousands of people trying to flee the country after the Taliban took control.
A day after violent scenes in which U.S. forces fired to disperse crowds and individuals clung to a U.S. military transport jet as it taxied for take-off.
The militants were wrapping up a week of advances across the country with their conquest of the capital without a fight until US forces grabbed control of the airport.
Flights were halted for much of Monday after witnesses said at least five people were killed, though it was unclear if they were shot or crushed in a stampede.
Biden stood firm in the defense of his exit from a 20-year conflict that spanned four presidents, despite heavy condemnation from Republican and Democratic lawmakers, former generals, and human rights organizations.
“I stand squarely behind my decision,” Biden said in a televised speech at the White House. “After 20 years I’ve learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces. That’s why we’re still there.”
Biden described some of the scenes of mayhem in Kabul as “gut-wrenching,” but said he delayed evacuation because Afghan President Ashraf Ghani did not want a mass exodus.
He said that the Taliban’s haste in retaking the country surprised him.
The militants’ fast progress surprised American authorities, who had assumed that the Afghan army would either expel or hold off the extremists for months.
*This article was written by Agencies for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews24@gmail.com to submit your story.
