Biden to deliver remarks on Afghanistan Wednesday

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - US President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Wednesday at the White House on Afghanistan, White House Press spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday.

The president will talk about his plans and timeline for withdrawing US troops in close coordination with US partners and allies, and the government of Afghanistan, Psaki said at a news conference.

The announcement comes shortly after a senior Biden administration official said the president ordered the full withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan no later than Sept. 11.

The official, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of Biden's formal announcement, said the president is firm on bringing US forces to zero by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Biden's timeline will, however, run afoul of a US-Taliban agreement brokered under former President Donald Trump that called for the full US exit to be completed no later than May 1.

The Taliban had threatened to resume attacks against US forces if the deadline was not met. The official warned against any such action as the process to pull US and NATO forces from the county unwind, saying any attacks "on US troops will be met with a forceful response."

Biden has repeatedly hinted in recent weeks that the Trump administration-negotiated deadline would not be met, saying on March 25 it would be "hard to meet" that timeline.