Tag: Joe Biden

  • ‘Cannot defend a nation whose leaders gave up and fled’: US President

    ‘Cannot defend a nation whose leaders gave up and fled’: US President

    United States (US) President Joe Biden blamed the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the US-trained Afghan army to fight the militant group.

    In his speech, Biden said that the US troops could not defend a nation whose leaders “gave up and fled”, as did Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

    “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,” Biden said in a televised address from the White House.

    While Biden said he took responsibility for the fate of the US mission, he lashed out at the former Afghan government and military commanders who were put in place, organised, and supported by Washington over the last 20 years.

    Instead of standing up to the advancing Taliban — a highly experienced guerrilla force but more lightly armed than the US-supplied Afghan army — the government fled.

    “We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them with the will to fight for that future,” Biden said, adding he could no longer ask US soldiers to risk their lives in the country, 20 years on.

    “Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation-building. It was never supposed to be creating a unified, centralised democracy.”

    “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves,” said the US president.

    “We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them was the will to fight for their future,” added Biden.

    “If Afganistan is unable to mount any real resistance at the Taliban now, there is no chance that one more year, five more years or 20 more years the US military boots on the ground would have made any difference,” said Biden.

    Biden said that the political leaders were unable to stand for their own people. He said that the leaders were unable to negotiate for the future of their people when the chips were down.

    Biden acknowledged that the Taliban’s speed in retaking the country was unexpected.

    “The truth is: This did unfold more quickly than we anticipated. So what’s happened? Afghanistan’s political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military gave up, sometimes without trying to fight,” Biden said.

    “Our true strategic competitors, China and Russia, would love nothing more than the United States to continue to funnel billions of dollars in resources and attention into stabilizing Afghanistan indefinitely,” he said.

    Biden said he was “left again to ask of those who argue that we should stay: how many more generations of America’s daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghans — Afghanistan’s civil war — when Afghan troops will not?”

    “I will not repeat the mistakes we made in the past,” said Biden.

    President Ashraf Ghani of Afghanistan fled the country as the Taliban entered Kabul, amidst severe criticism from his opponents, saying that now is not the time for him to leave his country as the dreaded Taliban come back to rule once more.

    The Taliban declared that the war in Afghanistan was over after its fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday.

  • Pakistan wants an all-inclusive settlement in Afghanistan: NSC

    Pakistan wants an all-inclusive settlement in Afghanistan: NSC

    A meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) was held on Monday to deliberate on the emerging situation in Afghanistan. The NSC meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by senior cabinet members and services chiefs.

    The participants were briefed on the latest developments in Afghanistan and their possible impact on Pakistan and the region.

    “The NSC noted that Pakistan was a victim of the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan and therefore desired peace and stability. Participants reiterated that Pakistan remains committed to an inclusive political settlement as the way forward representing all Afghan ethnic groups. It was reaffirmed that Pakistan would continue to work with the international community and all Afghan stakeholders to facilitate an inclusive political settlement in the country,” read a press release issued after the meeting.

    “The NSC called on all parties in Afghanistan to respect the rule of law, protect the fundamental human rights of all Afghans, and ensure that Afghan soil is not used by any terrorist organisation/group against any country.”

    PM Khan said all possible facilities be made available to repatriate Pakistanis, diplomats, journalists, and staff of international organisations seeking to leave Afghanistan. The committee reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the conflict in Afghanistan never had a military solution.

    “The ideal time to end the conflict through negotiations might have been when the United States (US)/ North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) troops were at maximum military strength in Afghanistan. Continuation of foreign military presence for a longer duration now would not have yielded a different outcome. Therefore, endorsement by the Biden administration of the previous US administration’s decision of troops withdrawal is indeed a logical conclusion to this conflict,” added the press release.

    “It is now time for the international community to work together to ensure an inclusive political settlement for long-term peace, security, and development of Afghanistan/ the region.”

  • Pakistan and US believe that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan

    Pakistan and US believe that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan

    Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, during his weekly press briefing, clarified that Pakistan considers the United States (US) a friend and wants broad-based relations to achieve the shared objective of peace and prosperity in the region and beyond.

    Answering the questions on the surging situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s relations with the US, Zahid said, “Pakistan and the US have a history of close cooperative relations. This cooperative relationship has served the interests of both the countries.”

    “We both believe that there’s no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan and we both want to see peace in Afghanistan,” added Zahid.

    He reiterated the fact that both Pakistan and the US support an inclusive, broad-based, and comprehensive political settlement in Afghanistan through a process that is owned and led by the Afghans themselves.

    The statement by the Foreign Office comes a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan issued a hard-hitting statement, saying that Washington sees Pakistan only useful in cleaning up the “mess” in Afghanistan.

    “Pakistan is considered only to be useful in the context of somehow settling this mess which has been left behind after 20 years of trying to find a military solution when there was none,” said PM Khan.

    PM Khan also clarified speculations that he was not “waiting” for a phone call from US President Joe Biden.

    “I keep hearing that President Biden hasn’t called me. Well, it’s his option. If he wants to call or not it’s his business. If he thinks it’s necessary or not. Not that I am waiting for any phone call,” said the premier.

  • PM Khan not ‘waiting’ for a phone call from President Joe Biden

    Prime Minister Imran Khan, while talking to foreign journalists at his residence on Wednesday night, said he was not “waiting” for a phone call from United States (US) President Joe Biden.

    “I keep hearing that President Biden hasn’t called me. Well, it’s his option. If he wants to call or not it’s his business. If he thinks it’s necessary or not. Not that I am waiting for any phone call,” he said in response to a question from Reuters journalist, Gibran Peshimam.

    PM Khan’s comments come after National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf had said that Pakistan has other options if Joe Biden continues to ignore the country’s leadership.

    While speaking to Finacial Times (FT), Yusuf categorically said, “If a phone call is a concession, if a security relationship is a concession, Pakistan has options.”

    “We’ve been told every time that . . . [the phone call] will happen, it’s technical reasons or whatever. But frankly, people don’t believe it,” Yusuf added.

    The prime minister also talked about the current situation in Afghanistan, its impact on Pakistan, and the withdrawal of US troops.

    PM Khan further said, “The only solution to Afghan problem is the formation of an inclusive government through a political settlement.”

    He said the prevailing situation in Afghanistan could lead to a civil war in the country resultantly making us suffer being the immediate neighbour. He said it could also affect our geo-economic agenda of improving trade links with Central Asia.

    Prime Minister said, ” Pakistan is ready to work with any government in Afghanistan that is elected by its people.” He once again made it clear that we have no favourites in Afghanistan.

  • ‘If a phone call and a security relationship is a concession, Pakistan has options’: Moeed Yusuf tells US

    ‘If a phone call and a security relationship is a concession, Pakistan has options’: Moeed Yusuf tells US

    National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf has said that Pakistan has other options if United States (US) President Joe Biden continues to ignore the country’s leadership.

    While speaking to Finacial Times (FT), Yusuf categorically said, “If a phone call is a concession, if a security relationship is a concession, Pakistan has options.”

    “We’ve been told every time that . . . [the phone call] will happen, it’s technical reasons or whatever. But frankly, people don’t believe it,” Yusuf added.

    Moeed Yusuf’s statement came as a complaint about Joe Biden’s failure to contact Prime Minister Imran Khan as Washington seeks help to stop the Taliban from taking over Afghanistan following US troop withdrawal.

    “The cold shoulder from Washington comes as the Taliban has captured swaths of territory across Afghanistan in a ruthless offensive emboldened by the US pullout,” the report added.

    “The president of the United States hasn’t spoken to the prime minister of such an important country who the US itself says is make-or-break in some cases, in some ways, in Afghanistan — we struggle to understand the signal, right?”

    A Biden administration official told FT, “There are still a number of world leaders President Biden has not been able to speak with personally yet. He looks forward to speaking with Prime Minister Khan when the time is right.”

    The US State Department, however, has assured Islamabad that Washington recognises Pakistan’s vital role in restoring peace in Afghanistan and wants the country to play that role. “Pakistan has much to gain and will continue to have a critical role, be well-positioned to have a role in supporting the outcome” in Afghanistan, said US State Department’s spokesman Ned Price, reported Dawn.

    A person familiar with last week’s discussions between Yusuf and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan told FT: “The conversation about Afghanistan had been tough but that securing a political settlement … could help improve the US-Pakistan relationship dramatically.”

  • ‘If the US President doesn’t want to talk with Pakistan, Goodluck, no one is waiting here’: Moeed Yusuf

    ‘If the US President doesn’t want to talk with Pakistan, Goodluck, no one is waiting here’: Moeed Yusuf

    National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf said that if US President Joe Biden doesn’t want to talk with Pakistan, then “good luck” as no one is waiting here for his call either.

    Speaking on Geo News programme, ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Moeed Yusuf said that the current Afghanistan situation is not good.

    Yusuf complained about the lack of coordination among the Pakistani and US officials in Afghanistan, saying we came to know about the withdrawal of foreign troops from the media.

    “We don’t want anyone to insult the US but if the finger is pointed at Pakistan, then it will be responded to,” Yusuf said.

    He was responding to a question asked about Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s comments about Biden. In a recent interview, PM Khan had said that US President Joe Biden has not spoken to him since assuming office as president.

    “Whenever he has time he can speak to me. At the moment, clearly, he has other priorities,” he had told Axios anchor Jonathan Swan

    Yusuf said Pakistan’s prime minister was of the view that a military solution was not possible in Afghanistan, adding that had that advice been taken, things would have been much different.

    “Everyone wants stability in the country,” he said.

  • Fatima Bhutto expresses anger over Biden administration

    Fatima Bhutto has expressed her anger over Joe Biden’s administration for approving the potential sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel.

    Sharing the news report of the approval on Twitter, Fatima Bhutto wrote: “The Biden administration has blood on its hands already and they are intent on getting them dirtier and dirtier.”

    As per congressional sources US lawmakers were not expected to object to the deal despite violence between Israel and Palestinian militants Reuters has reported.

    Other people are also expressing their anger over the deal :

    https://twitter.com/sunshine_leb/status/1394290306086998026

    Israeli bombardment of Gaza, a Palestinian terrority, is the worst the world has seen in years. Israeli fighter jets continue to pound central Gaza with bombs, as the death toll of the Palestinians killed in the fighting has reached to 212, 61 among them are children.

  • Gaza under attack

    Gaza under attack

    Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City demolished three buildings and killed at least 33 people on Sunday, including12 women and eight children. This has been one of the deadliest attacks since the start of the recent attacks against Palestinians by the Israeli forces.

    On May 12, Israeli airstrikes a building in Gaza that housed the offices of 14 media organisations. According to a report in TRT World, on May 7 and May 10, Israeli security forces fired rubber bullets and injured at least eight Palestinian and international journalists covering the protests at the Temple Mount complex and Al Aqsa mosque.

    Yesterday, Israeli forces a building in Gaza that housed several media outlets, including Al Jazeera and the Associated Press (AP). A statement by AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt said: “We are shocked and horrified that the Israeli military would target and destroy the building housing AP’s bureau and other news organisations in Gaza.” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that the US government “communicated directly to the Israelis that ensuring the safety and security of journalists and independent media is a paramount responsibility”.

    These words by the White House Press Secretary sound hollow because ever since the Israelis started attacking hapless Palestinians during the Holy month of Ramzan, the international community, especially the US, has not condemned Israel for its aggression. We did not hear the US or others condemn the attack on journalists when Arab journalists in Palestine were being attacked by the Israeli forces. The way the Al Aqsa mosque was stormed by the Israeli forces during the final Friday prayers in Ramzan, the way the unarmed Palestinians were sprayed with rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas, the world community should have condemned it unequivocally. But what do we hear: US President Joe Biden saying: “Israel has a right to defend itself.” There was no mention of how Israel is an occupying force that will continue to attack and kill unarmed civilians, including children.

    In a report released last month, the Human Rights Watch said Israeli authorities are committing crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. The 213-page report titled, ‘A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution’, should be read by every world leader in order to understand the gravity of the situation. Today, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has opened an emergency meeting over the situation in Palestine. Several countries that are part of the OIC have recently had recognition deals with Israel. No wonder we have seen a muted response from those countries. Pakistan has been asking the world to come to the aid of Palestine and stop this madness. Unfortunately, the world has become a silent spectator when it comes to Israel’s war crimes. Silence is not an option. We all must speak up for Palestine.

  • Biden returns billions Trump approved for US-Mexico border wall

    Biden returns billions Trump approved for US-Mexico border wall

    President of the United States (US) Joe Biden has decided to hold back funds of Pentagon that were directed by former President Donald Trump to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.

    The funds will be now used to fix the damages that were caused while the wall was under construction.

    According to reports, an official from the US government said that the Pentagon will begin cancelling all wall projects using the diverted funds, and the administration will take steps to return remaining unobligated military construction forms their appropriated purpose.

    The decision came when Joe Biden took over the office and signed a “proclamation” that directed the Pentagon to halt the flow of money to build the border wall, which was already ruled illegal by the federal court of US in June 2020.

    The Department of Homeland Security also announced plans to repair holes in flood levees at the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and fix soil erosion in San Diego created by border wall construction, neither of which will involve creating more barriers.

    The amount of money that the Trump administration allocated to build the wall was as high as $14 billion, says the official.

    According to the background details, the lawmakers of bipartisan put pressure on the government to make repairments against the damage caused due to the holes that drilled for wall construction.

    On this occasion, an influential American politician and attorney Ted Cruz commented that “I am pleased President Biden and the Department of Homeland Security are listening and now moving to shore up the levee wall system that had been unthoughtful. The repairs are necessary, crucial, and urgently needed.”

    In response, the chief critic senator Rick Scott uttered that “How can Biden possibly justify stopping wall construction?”, calling on Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to “immediately explain President Biden’s ridiculous order, how it is compliant with federal law and the awful consequences it will have on the current crisis.”

  • Pakistan rushes to Turkey’s support as US declares Armenian killings of 1915 as genocide

    Pakistan rushes to Turkey’s support as US declares Armenian killings of 1915 as genocide

    Pakistan has supported Turkish thesis on the events of 1915 after American President Joe Biden’s declaration that massacre of 1.5 million Armenians by Ottoman Turks in World War I was genocide.

    In a phone call with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi stressed Islamabad’s support for Ankara’s take on the events of 1915, said an official statement.

    Turkey, established in 1923 after the Ottoman empire collapsed, has always denied there was a systematic campaign to annihilate Armenians.

    It says that thousands of Turks and Armenians died in inter-ethnic violence as the empire started to fall apart and fought a Russian invasion of its eastern provinces during the war.

    “We believe that one-sided approaches and political categorisation of historical events could undermine trust and lead to polarisation between nations,” Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said in a statement.

    The statement also praised Turkey’s “constructive approach” on the subject including Ankara’s proposal for a joint historical commission to explore the facts.

    Turkish Foreign Ministry thanked Pakistan for its support.

    “Thank you brotherly Pakistan! Long live Turkey-Pakistan friendship!” read a tweet.

    Biden, in his statement, said the American people honour “all those Armenians who perished in the genocide that began 106 years ago.”

    “Over the decades, Armenian immigrants have enriched the United States (US) in countless ways, but they have never forgotten the tragic history,” Biden said.

    “We honour their story. We see that pain. We affirm the history. We do this not to cast blame but to ensure that what happened is never repeated.”

    The largely symbolic move, breaking away from decades of carefully calibrated language from the White House, comes at a time when Ankara and Washington grapple with deep policy disagreements over a host of issues.

    The Turkish government and most of the opposition showed rare unity in their rejection of Biden’s statement.

    Ankara has repeatedly proposed the creation of a joint commission of historians from Turkey and Armenia as well as international experts to tackle the issue.