Afghanistan: With last plane out of Kabul, America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan is over
The final U.S. troops in Afghanistan flew out of Kabul Monday at 3:29 p.m. EDT, ending a costly 20-year occupation that started after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and leaving a war-torn country now controlled by the Taliban.
The retreat, announced by the Pentagon, came one minute before Aug. 31 Kabul time, keeping the U.S. in the country right up until a deadline set by President Joe Biden’s administration.
“Now, our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended,” Biden said in a statement, calling it the “unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs and of all of our commanders on the ground to end our airlift mission as planned.”
In their view, the president said, ending the U.S. presence was the “best way” to protect the lives of troops and secure Afghan civilian departures in the weeks and months ahead.