casualties after may one. there was only cold reality of either following through on the agreement to withdraw our forces or escalating the conflict and sending thousands more american troops back into combat in afghanistan. lurching into the third decade of conflict. i stand squarely behind my decision. after 20 years, i have learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw us forces. that s why we are still there. we were a clear eyed about the risks. we plan for every contingency, but i always promised the american people that i would be straight with you. the truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated. so what has happened? afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled
to be scrapped and the rest of the world needs to look at refugees as an investment and give them their human rights. we an investment and give them their human rights- an investment and give them their human rights. we receive the best with our human rights. we receive the best with your work. human rights. we receive the best with your work. thank human rights. we receive the best with your work. thank you - human rights. we receive the best with your work. thank you very - human rights. we receive the best i with your work. thank you very much for coming on the programme. we will look back at the origins of the us in afghanistan and how it holds up today. most pupils in scotland will be returning to schools this week with many covid 19 restrictions in place. secondary school pupils must wear masks and social distance from their teachers and the measures are expected to continue until the end of september. the excitement and anticipation of a new term. many
government so the government could function for the afghan people. they failed to do any of that. i also urge them to engage in diplomacy, to seek a political settlement with the taliban. this advice was flatly refused. mr ghani insisted the afghan forces would fight but obviously he was wrong. so i m left again to ask of those who argued we should stay, how many more generations of america s daughters and sons would you have me sent to fight afghanistan s civil war when fight afg hanistan s civil war when afghan fight afghanistan s civil war when afghan troops will not? how many more american lives is it worth? how many endless rows of headstones in arlington national cemetery? i m clear in my answer. i will not
again. we did that. we never gave up the hunt are some of bin laden and we got him. that was a decade ago. our vision in afghanistan was never supposed to be a nation building. it was never supposed to be creating a unified, centralised democracy. 0ur unified, centralised democracy. our only vital national interest in afghanistan remains today what it has always been, preventing a terrorist attack on american homeland. i ve argued for many years that our mission should be narrowly focused on counterterrorism, not counterinsurgency or nation building. that s why i oppose the surge when it was proposed in 2009 when i was vice president, and that s why as president i m adamant we focus on the threats we face today in 2021, not yesterday s threats. today, the terrorist threat
preventing a terrorist attack on american homeland. i ve argued for many years that i went mission should be narrowly focused on counterterrorism, not counterinsurgency or nation building. that s why i opposed the search when act was proposed in 2009 when i was vice president and that s why as president and that s why as president i am adamant we focus on the threats we face today in 2021, not yesterday s threats. president biden said not yesterday s threats. president isiden said in not yesterday s threats. president biden said in his not yesterday s threats. president biden said in his mind not yesterday s threats. president biden said in his mind the - not yesterday s threats. president biden said in his mind the events| not yesterday s threats. president i biden said in his mind the events of last week validated his decision to withdraw troops and he placed the blame for the deteriorating situation on the shoulders of the afghan forces and their political leaders. it afghan f