Biden says the U.S. 'did what we went to do' in Afghanistan

President Biden said in a speech Thursday that the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31, The Associated Press reports, bringing an end to a near 20-year war with no "mission accomplished" moment.

Biden noted that, in regards to troops' withdrawal, "speed is safety" and that the United States "did what we went to do in Afghanistan: get the terrorists who attacked us on [September 11] and deliver justice to Osama bin Laden." He added: "We did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build."

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Brigid Kennedy

Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.