Biden to reportedly maintain Aug. 31 Afghanistan withdrawal deadline

(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

published 24 August 2021

President Biden will not extend the Afghanistan withdrawal beyond Aug. 31, a senior administration official told CNN.

The president made the decision in consultation with his national security team, and has reportedly "asked for contingency plans in case he determines at a later date the US needs to remain in the country for longer," CNN reports.

The move comes amid a chaotic and protracted effort to evacuate Americans, foreigners, and Afghan allies by the end of the month following a Taliban resurgence on the ground in Afghanistan. On Monday, House Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said he thought it "very unlikely" that the administration could complete its mission before then. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was reportedly planning to press Biden to stay in the country longer. But meanwhile, the Taliban has warned the U.S. against violating the predetermined Aug. 31 deadline, calling the date a "red line."

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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.

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