Biden: U.S. Went to Afghanistan to Get Rid of Bin Laden, End Safe Haven

President Joe Biden saluted the graves of U.S. troops who died in recent conflicts, buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday.

The visit came, after Biden pledged to withdraw remaining U.S. troops from the “forever war” in Afghanistan.

Asked if the withdrawal decision was a hard one to make, Biden said it wasn't. "To me, it was absolutely clear," he said. "We went for two reasons, get rid of (Osama) bin Laden and end the safe haven."

Looking around at the mass of white headstones, Biden told reporters it was "hard to believe."

He said he was "always amazed at, generation after generation, the women and men who prepared give their lives for their country." The president recalled the service of his son Beau Biden, who served in Iraq.

Biden earlier declared that the Sept. 11 attacks cannot justify American forces still being in Afghanistan 20 years after the deadliest terror assault on the United States.

His plan is to pull out all American forces - numbering 2,500 now - by this Sept. 11, the anniversary of the attacks, which were coordinated from Afghanistan.

The decision marks perhaps the most significant foreign policy decision for Biden in the early going of his presidency.

While Biden’s decision keeps U.S. forces in Afghanistan four months longer than initially planned, it sets a firm end to two decades of war that killed more than 2,200 U.S. troops, wounded 20,000, and cost as much as $1 trillion.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.

To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.

Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake

Connect with us on…

Breaking News on YouTube