Republican minority leader in the House of Representatives, Mitch McConnell, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that Democrat Biden had promised not to withdraw US troops until all Americans were evacuated. “He broke that promise and left the Americans and our Afghan partners in the lurch.” The last US soldiers left Kabul on Tuesday night (local time). This also ended the military evacuation mission.
Even after the evacuation mission has ended, there are still Americans in Afghanistan who want to leave the country. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assumed on Monday evening that their number was “below 200, probably closer to 100”. Blinken emphasized that the US government would continue to try to get them out of the country. Work will also continue to help Afghans seeking protection who have worked with the US.
McConnell criticized Biden for completely withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan. This move “led to a humanitarian catastrophe and encouraged terrorists,” wrote the senator. With the withdrawal of the last US troops, the international deployment in Afghanistan ended after almost 20 years. The Taliban are now reigning there again – i.e. those Islamists whose regime was overthrown by the US-led operation at the end of 2001.