‘It’s time to end this war’: US president vows to get Americans and allies home but admits ‘cannot promise’ final outcome
President Joe Biden has told US citizens stuck in Afghanistan and allies who worked alongside American forces “we will get you home”, but admitted he cannot promise what the “final outcome” of the troop withdrawal will be.
In a news conference at the White House, he admitted images of people desperately trying to flee the Taliban at the airport in Kabul were “heart-breaking” and “gut-wrenching”, but insisted he is “focused on getting this job done”.
He said: “This is one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history. We’re going to do everything that we can to provide safe evacuation to our Afghan allies and partners.
“Any American that wants to come home, we will get you home.”
He added: “It’s time to end this war.”
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Airport chaos ‘is just horrendous’
Mr Biden said 13,000 people had been safely evacuated from Afghanistan since 14 August – the day before Kabul fell to the Taliban – but added the mission was “dangerous” and “every resource necessary” would be mobilised, with nearly 6,000 troops currently on the ground.
He said the US would “retain a laser focus” on its counter terrorism mission in the country to prevent it being used as a base to launch attacks, and warned the Taliban that any threat to the US forces would be met with a “swift response”.
Mr Biden has faced a torrent of criticism for the rapid withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, with the Taliban now back in control of the country 20 years after being ousted.
He rejected the condemnation, saying the pull-out of military personnel was the “only rational thing to do” and insisted that US allies agreed with the decision.
President Joe Biden was flanked by Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he gave an update on the evacuation effort
Speaking to reporters, he said: “I’ve seen no questioning of our credibility from our allies around the world,” and he said: “I’ve not seen that, as a matter of fact the exact opposite.”
He added: “There’ll be plenty of time to criticise and second guess when this job is done.”
There is a race against time to get westerners and their Afghan allies, including translators, interpreters, and other vulnerable people, out as American soldiers, who are leading the evacuation effort, are due to leave the country by 31 August.
Tens of thousands of people remain to be evacuated ahead of the deadline.
There have been chaotic scenes outside Kabul’s airport every day this week as desperate crowds of Afghans try to flee the country.
Thousands are thronging the facility as they try to escape the Taliban but some face difficulties even getting to that point due to armed checkpoints by the group’s fighters.
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‘We’re not going to be here forever’
The president said he had “no indication” that US citizens were being blocked by the militants from reaching the airport.
Some US politicians are calling on the Biden administration to extend a security perimeter beyond the airport and further into Kabul so more people can make it to the airport for evacuation.
But the president rejected this suggestion, saying it could have “unintended consequences”, indicating there could be additional security threats against US troops. But he added “judgements” will be made by commanders on the ground.
Some in Congress also want Mr Biden to make clear the 31 August deadline for withdrawing US troops is not a firm one.
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Matt Zeller, who served in Afghanistan and is a former combat adviser to the Afghan security forces, said he had told US officials back in February that they should start evacuating Afghans, and called the current situation a “nightmare scenario”.
He told Sky News: “Imagine if we had done this back in the winter when it wasn’t fighting season, when we still had forces in place and controlled every airfield in Afghanistan.
“Would it have been chaotic to begin moving people slowly, methodically, a couple of families at a time, when we had the personnel and equipment in place? Would that have been chaotic? Absolutely not. Could we have done it, probably quietly? You betcha.”
Afghan war veteran Matt Zeller said Afghans should have started to be evacuated much earlier this year
Mr Zeller added: “I cant think of something more horrific and a fiasco than what’s going on now.”
“We don’t have a good security perimeter. We don’t have enough runway space. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a US marine standing metres away from a Taliban thug who is beating on US citizens.”
He said he had personal accounts of American citizens standing in line waving their passports but not being able to get in.
The US government had earlier renewed its advisory to Americans and others that it could not guarantee safe passage for any of those desperately seeking seats on the planes inside.
It said: “We are processing people at multiple gates. Due to large crowds and security concerns, gates may open or close without notice. Please use your best judgement and attempt to enter the airport at any gate that is open.”
A US defence official said around 5,700 people, including about 250 Americans, were flown out of Kabul aboard 16 C-17 transport planes in the last 24 hours.
US
Donald Trump refuses to rule out military force over Panama Canal and Greenland – as he warns NATO to spend more
US president-elect Donald Trump has refused to rule out military or economic action to seize the Panama Canal and Greenland – as he said he believes NATO spending should be increased to 5% per member state.
Speaking at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, Mr Trump made a series of sweeping claims on what his policies could look like when he takes office on 20 January.
He said he believes NATO spending should be increased to 5% per member state, while he also declared US control of Greenland and the Panama Canal as vital to American national security.
The 78-year-old Republican also spoke of relations with Canada, as well as addressing his position on the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
Sky News takes a look at some of the key claims brought up during the conference.
NATO
Mr Trump claimed “nobody knows more about NATO than I do”, before adding: “If it weren’t for me, NATO wouldn’t exist right now.
“I raised from countries that weren’t paying their bills, over $680bn. I saved NATO, but NATO is taking advantage of us.”
The president-elect also said members of NATO should be contributing 5% of their GDPs (gross domestic product) to defence spending – the previous target has been 2%.
Donald Trump speaking at Mar-a-Lago. Pic: Reuters
Greenland and Panama Canal
Asked if he can reassure the world he won’t resort to military action or economic coercion in trying to get control of the areas, he said: “No, I can’t assure you on either of those two.”
“But, I can say this, we need them for economic security.”
He didn’t add any further detail around Greenland – which he has recently suggested the US should own or control – but he said the Panama Canal “was built for our military”.
He said the canal was “vital” to the country and China was “operating” it.
Mr Trump criticised the late Jimmy Carter for his role in signing over the Panama Canal to Panama during his presidency, saying it’s “a disgrace what took place” and “Jimmy Carter gave it to them for one dollar.”
Canada
A day after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he was stepping down, Mr Trump said he believed the US’ northern neighbour should become the 51st US state.
He mocked Mr Trudeau by calling him “governor” rather than prime minister.
He argued the US and Canada combined would amount to an “economic force” that would “really be something”.
“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Mr Trudeau responded.
Israel-Hamas war
Israel has been waging a 15-month war on the militant group ruling Gaza, Hamas, since they launched an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October which saw 1,200 people massacred and about 250 taken hostage, many of whom remain in captivity.
Mr Trump said: “If those hostages aren’t back by the time I get into office, all hell will break out in the Middle East.”
Nearly 46,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s assault on Gaza, according to Hamas-run health officials in the enclave.
Analysis: Trump’s warning risks becoming less threatening
Ukraine war
Referring to Russia’s ongoing full-scale war against its smaller neighbour, Mr Trump said a “big part of the problem” was Russian President Vladimir Putin had said for many years he did not want Ukraine involved with NATO.
“Somewhere along the line [outgoing President Joe] Biden said you can join NATO,” he said.
“Well, then Russia has NATO right on their doorstep.
“When I heard the way Biden was negotiating I said ‘you are going to end up in a war’ and it turned out to be a war.”
Asked if he would commit to keep supporting Ukraine during negotiations with Moscow, Mr Trump quipped: “Well, I wouldn’t tell you if that were the case.”
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Mr Trump win’s certified by rival Kamala Harris
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Offshore drilling
Mr Trump repeated one of his favourite phrases from the campaign trail, “drill, baby, drill”.
On Monday, outgoing President Biden moved to ban new offshore oil and gas developments along most US coastlines.
But Mr Trump, who has vowed to boost domestic energy production, said he will undo it.
“We’re going to be drilling a lot of other locations,” he said.
US
California firefighters battling wildfire sweeping exclusive Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity homes
Firefighters in California are battling a fast-moving wildfire which is sweeping an exclusive Los Angeles hillside dotted with celebrity homes.
Officials say the wildfire is being fanned by gusts from a “life-threatening” and “destructive” wind storm that is battering southern California.
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Fire crews are battling a handful of small blazes in the Los Angeles area, including in the foothills of the Pacific Palisades, between Santa Monica and Malibu.
Around 30,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate.
The smoke cloud from the flames is so high, it can be seen from LA’s famous Venice Beach, more than six miles away.
Actor James Woods has shared footage of flames burning through bushes and past palm trees on a hill near his Pacific Palisades home.
Smoke from a wildfire is seen from Venice Beach. Pic: AP
Meanwhile, actor Steve Guttenberg, who also lives in the area, has been helping to move parked cars to make way for fire engines.
“This is not a parking lot,” he told local media.
“I have friends up there and they can’t evacuate… I’m walking up there as far as I can moving cars.”
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Wildfire reaches California houses
Kristin Crowley, fire chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the area was experiencing “extreme fire weather conditions” and that more than 250 firefighters were currently attempting to battle the blaze.
She said the fire was initially reported as a 10-acre fire, but, fanned by 40mph winds, had since spread to more than 1,200 acres “and growing”.
Ms Crowley added that the job of firefighters in tackling the blaze was being made “extremely challenging” due to “strong winds and surrounding topography”.
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A soldier who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI – including ChatGPT – to help plan the attack, police have said.
Matthew Livelsberger, 37, a US Army Green Beret, fatally shot himself just before the truck blew up outside the hotel on New Year’s Day.
Police in Las Vegas say they have now reviewed Livelsberger’s ChatGPT searches prior to the explosion.
According to officers, the searches indicate he was looking for information on explosive targets, the speed at which certain rounds of ammunition would travel, and whether fireworks were legal in Arizona.
Matthew Alan Livelsberger
Kevin McMahill, sheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, called Livelsberger’s use of generative AI in planning the attack a “game changer”.
“This is the first incident that I’m aware of on US soil where ChatGPT is utilised to help an individual build a particular device,” he said.
“It’s a concerning moment.”
Officials said last week that Livelsberger left notes in which he labelled the explosion as a stunt which he hoped would be a “wake-up call” for a nation he said was “terminally ill and heading towards collapse”.
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The notes touched on political grievances, societal problems and domestic and international issues, including the war in Ukraine.
However, according to officials, Livelsberger harboured no ill will toward president-elect Donald Trump and in one of the notes he left, he said the country needed to “rally around” him and Tesla boss Elon Musk.
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What was inside exploded Cybertruck?
He also left mobile phone notes saying he needed to “cleanse” his mind “of the brothers I’ve lost and relieve myself of the burden of the lives I took”.
The Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. File pic: Reuters
The FBI said Livelsberger, who had served in the army since 2006 and was deployed twice to Afghanistan, likely suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that there were “potential other family issues or personal grievances in his own life” that may have been “contributing factors”.
Authorities said that Livelsberger, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, acted alone and that the incident appeared likely to be a “tragic case of suicide”.
The explosion caused minor injuries to seven people but virtually no damage to the Trump International Hotel.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.
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