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Biden says US troops withdrawal 'tough' by May 1; Taliban warns of 'consequences'

WION Web Team
Washington, United StatesUpdated: Mar 17, 2021, 08:43 PM IST
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US troops in Afghanistan Photograph:(AFP)

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'The fact is that that was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president, the former president worked out,' Biden said blaming Trump for the deal

The US President Joe Biden has warned that the country will not be able to withdraw all of the US troops from Afghanistan by May 01, which was part of a deal with the Taliban.

However, the Taliban has retaliated by asserting that the US troops must leave Afghanistan by the decided deadline or face the "consequences".

As per an agreement signed in Qatar with the Taliban, the US is supposed to completely withdraw all of its troops from Afghanistan within six weeks.

On Wednesday, however, Biden cast a cloud of doubt on this by saying that a complete withdrawal "could happen, but it is tough".

"I'm in the process of making that decision now as to when they'll leave," Biden said.

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Directly attacking the former US President, Donald Trump, Biden said, "The fact is that that was not a very solidly negotiated deal that the president, the former president worked out."

"The failure to have an orderly transition from the Trump presidency to my presidency, which usually takes place from election day to the time he's sworn in, has cost me time and consequences," Biden added. "That's one of the issues we're talking about now, in terms of Afghanistan."

This statement by Biden has not been well received by the Taliban. "The Americans should end their occupation in accordance with the Doha deal and fully withdraw their forces from Afghanistan by May 1," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told AFP.

He warned the US of 'consequences' if the deal is not respected. "If they don't do it, be it for any reason and pretexts, then they will be responsible for the consequences," he added.