HOPING TO CREATE IDEAL
CONDITIONS FOR THE WITHDRAWAL
AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT
RESULT.
I’M NOW THE FOURTH UNITED STATES
PRESIDENT TO PRESIDE OVER
AMERICAN TROOP PRESENCE IN
AFGHANISTAN, TWO REPUBLICANS AND
TWO DEMOCRATS.
I WILL NOT PASS THIS
RESPONSIBILITY ON TO A FIFTH.
AFTER CONSULTING CLOSELY WITH
OUR ALLIES AND PARTNERS, WITH
OUR MILITARY LEADERS AND
INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL, WITH OUR
DIPLOMATS AND OUR DEVELOPMENT
EXPERTS, WITH THE CONGRESS AND
THE VICE PRESIDENT AS WELL AS
WITH MR. GANHI AND OTHERS AROUND
THE WORLD, I CONCLUDED IT’S TIME
TO END THIS AMERICAN WAR.
IT’S TIME FOR OUR TROOPS TO COME
HOME.
WHEN I CAME TO OFFICE, I
INHERITED A DIPLOMATIC AGREEMENT
FULLY NEGOTIATED BETWEEN THE
GOVERNOR OF THE UNITED STATES
AND THE TALIBAN THAT ALL U.S.
FORCES WOULD BE OUT OF
AFGHANISTAN BY MAY 1, 2021, JUST
THREE MONTHS AFTER MY
INAUGURATION.
THAT’S WHAT WE INHERITED, THAT
COMMITMENT.
IT’S PERHAPS NOT WHAT I WOULD
HAVE NEGOTIATED MYSELF, BUT IT
WAS AN AGREEMENT MADE BY THE
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT, AND
THAT MEANS SOMETHING.
SO IN KEEPING WITH THAT
AGREEMENT AND WITH OUR NATIONAL
INTERESTS, THE UNITED STATES
WILL BEGIN OUR FINAL WITHDRAWAL,
BEGAN IT ON MAY 1 OF THIS YEAR.
WE’LL NOT CONDUCT A HASTY RUSH
TO THE EXIT.
WE’LL DO IT RESPONSIBLY,
DELIBERATELY AND SAFELY, AND WE
WILL DO IT IN FULL COORDINATION
WITH OUR ALLIES AND PARTNERS WHO
NOW HAVE MORE FORCES IN
AFGHANISTAN THAN WE DO.
THE TALIBAN SHOULD KNOW THAT IF
THEY ATTACK US AS WE DRAW DOWN,
WE’LL DEFEND OURSELVES AND OUR
PARTNERS WITH ALL THE TOOLS AT
OUR DISPOSAL.
OUR ALLIES AND PARTNERS HAVE
STOOD BESIDE US SHOULDER TO
SHOULDER IN AFGHANISTAN FOR
ALMOST 20 YEARS.
WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
CONTRIBUTIONS THEY HAVE MADE TO
OUR SHARED MISSION AND FOR THE
SACRIFICES THEY HAVE BORNE.
THE PLAN HAS LONG BEEN IN
TOGETHER, OUT TOGETHER.
U.S. TROOPS AS WELL AS FORCES
DEPLOYED BY OUR NATO ALLIES AND
OPERATIONAL PARTNERS WILL BE OUT
OF AFGHANISTAN BEFORE WE MARK
THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF THAT
HEINOUS ATTACK ON SEPTEMBER 11.
BUT WE WILL NOT TAKE OUR EYE OFF
THE TERRORIST THREAT.
WE’LL REORGANIZE OUR
COUNTERTERRORISM CAPABILITIES
AND THE SUBSTANTIAL ASSETS IN
THE REGION TO PREVENT
REEMERGENCE FROM TERRORISTS AND
THE THREAT TO OUR HOMELAND FROM
OVER THE HORIZON.
WE’LL HOLD THE TALIBAN
RESPONSIBLE NOT TO THREATEN ANY
TERRORISTS IN THE UNITED STATES
OR ALLIES ON THE AFGHAN SOIL.
THEY HAVE MADE THAT PROMISE TO
US AS WELL, AND WE PUT FULL
ATTENTION ON THE THREAT TODAY.
MY JOB IS TO MONITOR AND DISRUPT
SPECIFIC TERRORIST THREATS NOT
ONLY IN AFGHANISTAN BUT ANYWHERE
THEY MAY ARISE, AFRICA, THE
MIDDLE EAST AND ELSEWHERE.
I SPOKE TO FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH
ON MY DECISION YESTERDAY.
WHILE HE AND I HAVE DIFFERENT
FOREIGN POLICY IDEAS OVER THE
YEARS, WE BOTH WANT TO PRESERVE
THE INTEGRITY OF THE UNITED
STATES OFFICERS WHO SERVED.
WE ARE GRATEFUL OF THE BACKBONE
THEY HAVE SHOWN THROUGH TWO
COMBAT KBEDEPLOYMENTS.
THE UNITED STATES IS INDEBTED TO