THE STATUS OF THE DRAWDOWN OF
THE U.S. FORCES AND ALLIED
FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN.
WHEN I ANNOUNCED THE DRAWDOWN IN
APRIL, I SAID THAT WE WOULD BE
OUT BY SEPTEMBER.
AND WE ARE ON TRACK TO MEET THAT
TARGET.
EXCUSE ME.
OUR MILITARY MISSION IN
AFGHANISTAN IS GOING TO CONCLUDE
ON AUGUST 31st, AND THE DRAWDOWN
IS PROCEEDING IN A SECURE AND
ORDERLY WAY, PRIORITIZING THE
SAFETY OF THE TROOPS AS THEY
DEPART.
OUR MILITARY COMMANDERS ADVISE
ME THAT ONCE I MADE THE DECISION
TO END THE WAR, WE NEEDED TO
MOVE SWIFTLY TO CONDUCT THE MAIN
ELEMENTS OF THE DRAWDOWN.
IN THIS CONTEXT, SPEED IS
SAFETY.
THAN TOX WAY IN WHICH WE HAVE
MANAGED THE WITHDRAW, NO ONE, NO
ONE U.S. FORCES OR ANY FORCES
HAVE BEEN LOST.
CONDUCTING OUR DRAWDOWN
DIFFERENTLY WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY
COME WITH INCREASED RISK OF
SAFETY TO OUR PERSONNEL.
TO ME, THOSE RISKS WERE
UNACCEPTABLE, AND THERE WAS
NEVER ANY DOUBT THAT THE
MILITARY PERFORM THIS TASK
EFFICIENTLY AND WITH THE HIGHEST
LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM.
THAT IS WHAT THEY DO.
AND THE SAME IS TRUE OF THE NATO
ALLIES AND PARTNERS THAT WE ARE
SUPPORTING AND SUPPORTING US AS
WELL AS THEY COMPLETE THEIR
RETRO GRADE.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE
MILITARY MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN
CONTINUES THROUGH AUGUST.
WE RETAIN PERSONNEL AND
CAPACITIES IN THE COUNTRY, AND
WE MAINTAIN SOME AUTHORITY,
EXCUSE ME, THE SAME AUTHORITIES
UNDER WHICH WE HAVE BEEN
OPERATING UNDER SOME TIME.
AS I SAID IN APRIL, THE UNITED
STATES DID WHAT WE WENT TO DO IN
AFGHANISTAN.
TO GET THE TERRORISTS WHO
ATTACKED US ON 9/11 AND DELIVER
JUS TOIS OTICE TO OSAMA BIN LADE
TO PREVENT THE AREA FROM
BECOMING A BASE.
AND WE ACHIEVED THOSE OBJECTIVES
THAT IS WHY WHICH WENT.
WE DID NOT GO TO AFGHANISTAN TO
NATION-BUILD.
IT IS THE RIGHT AND THE
INCLUDING MARK, EXCUSE ME, I
WANT TO CORRECT THE NAME
CORRECTLY, FAIRIEX TO RETURN TO
HIS FAMILY.
AND WE WANT TO ALSO HELP WITH
INTERPRETERS AND TRANSLATORS AND
BECAUSE WE DONT NEED MILITARY
THERE, AND THEY WILL NOT HAVE
JOBS AND VITAL TO OUR EFFORTS,
AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY VITAL
AND SO THEIR FAMILIES ARE NOT
EXPOSED TO DANGER AS WELL.
WE HAVE DRAMATICALLY ACCELERATED
THE PROCEDURE TIME FOR SPECIAL
IMMIGRANT VISAS TO BRING THEM TO
THE UNITED STATES.
SINCE I WAS INAUGURATED JANUARY
20th, WE HAVE APPROVED 2,500
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS TO COME
TO THE UNITED STATES.
UP TO NOW, FEWER THAN HALF HAVE
EXERCISED THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
HALF HAVE GOTTEN ON AIRCRAFT AND
COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS AND COME, AND
THE OTHER HALF BELIEVE THEY WANT
TO STAY AT LEAST THUS FAR.
WORKING CLOSELY WITH CONGRESS TO
CHANGE THE AUTHORIZATION SO THAT
WE CAN STREAMLINE THE PROCESS OF
APPROVING THE VISAS, AND THOSE
WHO HAVE STOOD UP TO RELOCATING
THOUSANDS OF AFGHANS AND THE
FAMILIES BEFORE THE MISSION
CONCLUDES SO THAT IF THEY
CHOOSE, THEY CAN WAIT SAFELY
OUTSIDE OF AFGHANISTAN WHILE
THEIR U.S. VISAS ARE BEING
PROCESSED.
THE OPERATION HAS IDENTIFIED
FACILITIES THE OUTSIDE OF THE
CONTINENTAL U.S. AS WELL AS
THIRD COUNTRIES TO HOLD THEM IF
THEY CHOOSE.
STARTING THIS MONTH, WE WILL
BEGIN TO RELOCATE, AND BEGIN THE
ROW
RELOCATION FOR THE AFGHANIS WHO
CHOOSE TO LEAVE.
WE HAVE A PERSON AT THE WHITE
HOUSE, AND A STAFF PERSON WHO
ARE COORDINATING ALL OF THE
EFFORTS.
BUT THE MESSAGE TO THOSE WOMEN
AND MEN IS CLEAR.
THERE IS A HOME FOR YOU IN THE