Biden calls Afghanistan withdrawal a foreign policy victory in State Department address

President Joe Biden defended the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling it a foreign policy victory during a speech at the State Department. He stated that ending the war was necessary to avoid being tied down in Afghanistan for another decade. Biden acknowledged the challenges faced during the withdrawal, including the deaths of 13 servicemembers in a bombing. He emphasized that the primary objective of capturing Osama bin Laden had been achieved and highlighted the financial burden of the war. The president claimed that fears of damaged alliances and increased terrorism threats after the withdrawal did not materialize. He also noted that his administration had weakened adversaries like Russia and Iran through its foreign policy efforts.