President Joe Biden plans to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, according to reports citing unnamed US officials. Biden is expected to announce the decision on Wednesday, The Washington Post reported.
The decision means that US forces will remain in Afghanistan past the May 1 deadline agreed to with the Taliban by former President Donald Trump. There are currently supposed to be 2,500 US troops in Afghanistan, though the Post reported that the number fluctuates and there are up to 3,500 US troops there now. There also are some 7,000 foreign troops there supporting the US-led coalition.
Biden said in an interview last month that meeting the May 1 deadline for withdrawing troops from Afghanistan will be “tough” but that it “could happen.” Biden has pledged to end the conflict and remove US troops from Afghanistan.
Trump cut the deal to remove the troops with the Taliban in February 2020. In exchange, the Taliban agreed to cut ties to Al-Qaida and stop its attack on American targets. The deal to end the two-decade-long conflict also included negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government leading to a power-sharing agreement, which are currently stalled.