Biden: Troops will stay in Afghanistan to evacuate Americans

By ROBERT BURNS, ELLEN KNICKMEYER and ZEKE MILLER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says he’s committed to keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan until every American is evacuated, even if that means maintaining a military presence there beyond his Aug. 31 deadline for withdrawal. He’s also pushing back against criticism that the U.S. should have done more to plan for the evacuation and withdrawal, which has been marked by scenes of violence and chaos as thousands attempted to flee while the Taliban advanced. He made the comments in an interview with ABC News. Up to 15,000 Americans remain in Afghanistan after the Taliban took full control of the nation last weekend.