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Biden says Afghans ‘should combat for themselves’ as Taliban advances

Biden says Afghans 'must fight for themselves' as Taliban advances

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy from the White House in Washington, U.S. July 19, 2021.

Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden said Tuesday he does not regret his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan, a move that effectively ends America’s longest war.

“Look, we spent over a trillion dollars over twenty years, we trained and equipped with modern equipment over 300,000 Afghan forces,” Biden told reporters at the White House.

“Afghan leaders have to come together,” Biden said. “They’ve got to fight for themselves, fight for their nation.”

In April, Biden ordered the full withdrawal of approximately 3,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11.

The Pentagon’s massive task of removing servicemembers and equipment out of Afghanistan is nearly complete, with the U.S. military mission slated to end by Aug. 31.

As the U.S. withdrawals from Afghanistan, the Taliban has made stunning battlefield advances despite being vastly outnumbered by the Afghan military. Over the weekend, the Taliban swiftly seized five provincial Afghan capitals, taking three in one day alone.

Afghans inspect damaged shops after fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces in Kunduz city, northern Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 8, 2021.

Abdullah Sahil | AP

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Monday that while the Biden administration plans to continue to provide air support, there was not much else the U.S. military could do.

“We will certainly support from the air, where and when feasible, but that’s no substitute for leadership on the ground, it’s no substitute for political leadership in Kabul, it’s no substitute for using the capabilities and capacity that we know they have,” Kirby said.

Kirby added that while the Pentagon is concerned to see such advances by the Taliban, the Afghan military must now leverage the years of training from U.S. and NATO coalition forces.

“They have an Air Force, the Taliban doesn’t. They have modern weaponry and organizational skills, the Taliban doesn’t. They have superior numbers to the Taliban,” Kirby said. “They have the advantages, and it’s really now their time to use those advantages.”

As the security situation in Afghanistan worsens, the State Department is looking at ways in which to downsize the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

“Obviously it is a challenging security environment and were we able, were we confident and were we comfortable having a larger staffing presence there we would,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Tuesday when asked about the reduction in staff in Kabul.

“We are evaluating the threat environment on a daily basis. The Embassy is in regular contact with Washington with the most senior people in this building, who in turn are in regular contact with our colleagues at the [National Security Council] in the White House,” Price added.

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In Resignation Speech, Cuomo Makes a Final Play to Protect His Legacy

In Resignation Speech, Cuomo Makes a Last Play to Preserve His Legacy

But as it became clearer that the State Assembly intended to seek impeachment, the situation became less tenable. Under New York rules, if the congregation is charged, a governor must resign before a Senate trial has reached a verdict. Mr. Cuomo, used to the trappings of power, would have been reluctant to stand trial as a private individual, say people who know him.

“Today was about giving him 14 days to figure out the next phase of his life, as opposed to an impeachment vote that would have triggered his immediate removal from his actual home and the Executive Chamber,” said State Senator Todd Kaminsky, a Nassau. Democrat district.

“He wants to go on his own terms and he wants it to be as convenient and unembarrassing as possible, and he bought himself 14 days for it,” he added. “I don’t think voters think any differently about the deeds, the disgusting behavior in the attorney general’s report.”

When asked whether Mr. Cuomo could run again, Mr. Kaminsky replied: “I absolutely don’t think so.”

Just before Mr Cuomo spoke on Tuesday, his lawyer Rita Glavin made a lengthy presentation criticizing the news media and explaining the details of the report.

After she laid the foundation, Mr. Cuomo came on his own defense. The political environment was to blame for his predicament, he claimed.

Even on the verge of stepping down, Mr Cuomo seemed to believe that if he had only had more time, he could have won in the public opinion court.

“This is about politics, and our political system is now too often driven to extremes: rash has replaced reasonableness, loudness has replaced solidity,” he said. “If I could communicate the facts through the frenzy, New Yorkers would understand. I believe that.”

MP Ritchie Torres, a Bronx Democrat, compared Mr Cuomo’s trajectory to a Greek tragedy.

“It is the steepest collapse in the history of government policy,” he said. “And as with all Greek tragedies, hubris is the focus.”

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Eric Adams privately indicators he is open to working with Amazon if he turns into mayor

Eric Adams privately signals he's open to working with Amazon if he becomes mayor

Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams has privately signaled he’s open to strengthening New York’s relationship with Amazon and other tech giants if he wins election in November, according to people familiar with recent conversations he has had with business leaders.

Adams’ openness to fostering stronger ties with Amazon comes as the e-commerce giant looks to expand its footprint in New York after a deal for a headquarters in Queens was scrapped in 2019.

Adams is favored to win the mayor’s race over Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Amazon bolted on the plan to build in the Long Island City section of Queens after strong resistance from progressive lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. Amazon had promised to create at least 25,000 jobs, but critics said the company was getting too many tax breaks and was not involving the local community.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was a proponent of the original deal, blasted Amazon after it pulled out, taking direct aim at its billionaire founder and then-CEO Jeff Bezos.

“The retail giant’s expansion in New York encountered opposition in no small part because of growing frustration with corporate America,” de Blasio wrote in a New York Times op-ed at the time. “For decades, wealth and power have concentrated at the very top. There’s no greater example of this than Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos — the richest man in the world.”

De Blasio and his team were approached in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic by allies in the business community about resuming high level talks with Amazon, including potentially speaking with Bezos himself, according to a person briefed on the matter. De Blasio signaled he wasn’t interested, this person noted.

These people declined to be named in order to speak freely about private conversations. A spokesperson for de Blasio did not return requests for comment.

Even without the deal, the tech giant and others have found ways to expand in New York. Amazon’s spokesman said it has created more than 34,000 jobs in New York. Google says it plans to invest $250 million in New York with more jobs on the way. Facebook is leasing a ton of New York office space.

Amazon, though, appears to be ready to expand its presence even further. In an email, spokesman Zachary Goldsztejn said Amazon is looking to invest more in the Empire State and work with the local officials, including newly elected leaders. He noted that the company has created over 34,000 jobs in the state.

A spokesman for Adams did not deny that the Democratic nominee is hoping to work with Amazon and other tech behemoths but noted he’s only willing to engage with businesses that have the interests of New Yorkers in mind.

“Eric has made clear that he believes believes businesses of all sizes should be welcome here in New York as long as they have the interests of working people in mind,” Evan Thies, a spokesman for Adams, told CNBC in a statement. “As mayor, Eric will create the environment for business to grow and have a home in order to lift up the middle income and working class New Yorkers who need their economy to work for them.”

Adams himself said during the Democratic primary campaign that he would have supported a deal with Amazon in Long Island City, with certain provisions.

“I would’ve supported building the Amazon deal in Queens with modifications,” Adams told The New York Times at the time. “I would have allowed them [local residents] to be part of the community benefits agreement. Allowed them to be a part of the type of jobs, employments for the young people in that area, the retraining. I would have ensured that we would’ve have decent, prevailing wages, good benefits and New York could’ve led the way. And really, I believe, change the way Amazon’s method of doing business.”

Amazon could also be interested in working with a newly led City Hall for another reason. Its new CEO, Andy Jassy, was raised in suburban Scarsdale.

When he was running Amazon Web Services, Jassy in 2014 returned to the town where he graduated high school to address the community.

Asked who inspired him at the time, Jassy said: “My boss Jeff Bezos,” according to a local news report of the event. “He is the most brilliant thinker I know, he is unbelievably creative, has technical acumen and unusual empathy for the customer.”

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Everytown for Gun Security to Prepare Volunteers to Run for Workplace

Everytown for Gun Safety to Train Volunteers to Run for Office

Gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety plans to spend $ 3 million to recruit and train its volunteers for the candidacy, with the goal of getting 200 races in the next election cycle.

The program is the latest step in a year-long effort by groups supporting stricter gun laws to become politically competitive with the National Rifle Association, which has a strong grip on American politics amid the rise in mass shootings.

That dynamic has started to shift as the NRA loses its hold on moderate Democrats and more gun restrictions are passed by state lawmakers. But even proposals with broad bipartisan support among voters, such as universal background checks and red flag laws, have failed in Congress.

Everytown’s new program, called Demand a Seat, will begin this fall and will include training on the fundamentals of running a campaign, as well as instruction from lawyers who have become legislators, such as Rep. Lucy McBath, Democrat of Georgia. It is aimed at members of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, two branches of Everytown supported by Michael R. Bloomberg.

“Our volunteers have fought to have the people at the table listen to them, and some wouldn’t, so now our volunteers and gun violence survivors will be fighting to occupy those seats,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand action.

Everytown said more than 100 of its volunteers ran for office last year and 43 won.

The group said more than 50 former volunteers were elected to state parliaments, 18 to city or district councils, eight to school boards, and two to Congress: Ms. McBath and Marie Newman, Democrats of Illinois.

Ms McBath, who was first elected in 2018, said in an interview on Monday that as a lawyer for Moms Demand Action, she learned how to organize people, give speeches and talk about politics with different audiences. But she said, “I had no idea how to campaign.”

“I’ve never run for office,” said Ms. McBath, who joined Moms Demand Action after her son Jordan Davis was fatally shot. “I got a bit of help from people around me and went to bootcamp training over a weekend, but I wish I had this kind of structure, an ongoing structure that I could relate to all the time.”

State Representative Jo Ella Hoye, a Democrat, was elected to the Kansas Legislature in November after leading the chapter of Moms Demand Action in Kansas for about three years. She said she mostly staffed her campaign with other volunteers making more than 10,000 calls for her.

“You have this lightbulb moment: I used this database for our organization and I will use it for our campaign. We attend training on messaging and social media, ”said Ms. Hoye. “If you formalize it, the lightbulb will click just a little earlier.”

You and Ms. McBath will advise the participants in the program, as will, among others, the Mayoress Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta, a Democrat; former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, a Democrat; and former Florida MP David Jolly, who was Republican during his tenure but has since left the party.

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Biden DOJ evaluations paperwork for launch

Biden DOJ reviews documents for release

The Justice Department on Monday promised to re-examine the files relating to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks for possible disclosure after years of pressure from victims’ families to divulge information about the alleged role of Saudi government officials.

The Justice Department did not provide any information about what documents or information could be released after the review was completed.

The decision comes just days after nearly 1,800 9/11 survivors, first responders and family members of the victims told President Joe Biden to skip commemorations this year unless he released FBI documents identifying the alleged role Saudi government officials are detailed in the deadly attacks.

FDNY firefighters carry another firefighter, Al Fuentes, who was injured in the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001.

Matt Moyer | Corbis News | Getty Images

It also comes a month before the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.

Biden welcomed the Justice Department’s decision.

“As I promised during my campaign, my administration is committed to ensuring the greatest possible degree of legal transparency and adhering to the strict guidelines of the Obama-Biden administration on the use of state secrecy,” Biden said in a statement. “With that in mind, I welcome today’s Justice Department filing.”

The Justice Department’s decision follows a federal lawsuit in the southern district of New York by families of 9/11 victims against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Justice Department found in a judicial file on Monday that the FBI recently closed an investigation into individuals who may have provided significant assistance to the September 11, 2001 kidnappers.

The FBI will review its previous decisions to withhold information and identify additional information that is appropriate for disclosure according to the filing.

“The FBI will continue to disclose such information as soon as possible,” Justice Department officials said on the file.

Organizations representing the families of 9/11 victims, including Peaceful Tomorrows and the 9/11 Families’ Association, did not immediately respond to comment.

Biden campaigned for a promise to give survivors of September 11, 2001 and family members more transparency about unpublished documents held by the government about the attacks.

Survivors, first responders and families of the victims argued on Friday that Biden did not live up to his words. They also previously alleged that up to 25,000 pages of 9/11-related documents were withheld from them.

“We cannot greet the president in good faith and with reverence for the lost, sick and injured in our sacred grounds until he fulfills his obligation,” they wrote in a statement on Friday.

Brett Eagleson, whose father was killed in the attack on the World Trade Center, told CNN on Friday that the group specifically wanted documents revealing information about the alleged role of the Saudi Arabian government.

“The government continues to stab us in the back behind a cloak of secrecy,” said Eagleson.

The 9/11 Commission’s investigation, which closed in 2004, found that charities funded by the Saudi government supported the terrorist attacks but provided no evidence of direct government funding.

The group of survivors and family members claim that recent FBI documents, such as a 2016 investigation into Saudi Arabia, reveal whether people linked to al-Qaeda, the group that carried out the terrorist attacks, were in Associate, have received support or funding from Saudi Arabia government.

Fifteen of the 19 attackers in the 9/11 attacks were Saudi nationals, and mastermind Osama bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government denies allegations that it was involved.

Several presidential administrations withheld documents related to the attacks, citing security concerns. Most recently, in 2019, the Trump administration invoked the privilege of state secrecy to justify keeping documents secret.

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Senate Democrats Start $3.5 Trillion Push for ‘Large, Daring’ Social Change

Senate Democrats Begin $3.5 Trillion Push for ‘Big, Bold’ Social Change

In a memo, senior lawmakers also indicated that they plan to adjust the cap on how much taxpayers can deduct in state and local taxes, a provision that Mr. Biden did not originally include in his proposals, but one that remains a key priority for a number of lawmakers in high-tax states, particularly New York, New Jersey and California. (It will likely be a partial repeal, according to an aide familiar with the ongoing discussions.)

With an ongoing effort to get countries, including the United States, to adopt a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent, Democrats also hope to make significant changes to the international tax system to reduce incentives for companies to move their profits and operations abroad to tax havens. Lawmakers and aides have been discussing doubling the U.S. tax on foreign income to 21 percent.

After Republicans rejected beefing up the I.R.S.’s tax enforcement abilities as part of the bipartisan infrastructure package, Democrats are also likely to substantially bolster the tax collection agency’s staff and enforcement resources to help narrow the gap between what the federal government is owed in taxes and what it actually collects, which has reached an estimated $1 trillion per year.

Notably, Democrats declined to address the approaching statutory limit on the federal government’s ability to finance the country’s debt in the budget blueprint. It is a risky decision, given that Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, has said Republicans will not vote to raise the borrowing limit. A failure to raise the limit could prompt a default on the nation’s debt and a global economic crisis.

Democrats would like to use separate, bipartisan legislation to raise or suspend the debt limit, a strategic decision made in part because of the budget rules. Janet L. Yellen, the Treasury secretary, endorsed that approach in a statement on Monday, after employing “extraordinary measures” earlier this month to delay the official deadline to extend the Treasury’s borrowing authority.

But Republicans have warned that on the brink of being cut out of both the $1.9 trillion pandemic bill and the $3.5 trillion package, they have little will to address the debt ceiling, which allows the government to pay debts already incurred. Their debt ceiling threat is potent in a chamber that normally requires at least 10 votes from their side to advance legislation.

“Democrats want Republicans to help them raise the debt limit so they can keep spending historic sums of money with zero Republican input and zero Republican votes,” Mr. McConnell said. He added, “If they want 50 lock-step Democratic votes to spend trillions and trillions more, they can find 50 Democratic votes to finance it.”

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Donors encourage Kathy Hochul to run for governor

Donors encourage Kathy Hochul to run for governor

A group of New York’s most influential political donors in business encourage Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, running for governor, while Andrew Cuomo grapples with various investigations after an official report found he sexually molested several women.

Hochul’s talks with financiers over the past few weeks have focused in part on her political future, including a possible candidacy for governor and the possible assumption of governor if Cuomo resigns or is ousted, people familiar with the matter said .

These discussions came before and after the release of Attorney General Letitia James’ report last week, which listed cases of alleged sexual harassment by Cuomo against at least 11 women. The governor has denied wrongdoing.

A person close to Hochul said many of these recent conversations were initiated by supporters. This person declined to be called to speak freely.

“Everyone turned to her,” said the person. “You give advice and she listens.” That person said Hochul had heard from state lawmakers, business leaders and other elected officials. This person also stressed that it is the lieutenant governor’s job to be ready to take over for the governor when a transition occurs.

Hochul’s conversations with donors and business leaders mark another change in happiness for Cuomo, who has garnered support – and millions of dollars – from senior executives during his three terms as New York governor.

Cuomo hasn’t ruled out running again in 2022. His election campaign war chest was just over $ 18 million at the end of the first half of the year. Cuomo and Hochul are both Democrats.

State campaign funding records show that Hochul’s lieutenant governor’s campaign account has approximately $ 1.7 million available. Should she become governor before Election Day 2022, she would likely be re-elected for a full term next year.

President Joe Biden and other Democratic Party leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, have called on Cuomo to step down. Members of the New York State Assembly expect to complete the evidence in their impeachment investigation within a few weeks. Hochul has described the governor’s alleged conduct as “repulsive and illegal” and said it was up to the meeting to determine the next steps.

Meanwhile, many donors who have been with Cuomo’s camp for years have not come to his defense since the report was released last week.

Weeks prior to the release of James’ report, John Yurtchuk, chairman and owner of Buffalo-based tech company Calspan Corp., received a call from Hochul, he said in an interview Monday.

Yurtchuk said he tried to convince Hochul to run for governor.

“I just said, ‘You would be a great governor. I’m just letting you know’ so she knows where her supporters might be. I would stand up for her,” he said.

Yortchuk said, Hochul “kind of said she heard this. She heard this from other people who support her.” He gave Hochul’s $ 5,000 campaign for lieutenant governor in July.

Last week, a media manager and Democratic mega-donor who refused to be named to speak freely said he had heard from Hochul and assumed the conversation meant she was making a connection if she were to become governor. Those close to her have signaled to this executive that they are ready to raise campaign funds for the governor’s race if she should take over Cuomo.

Jeffrey Gural, a property manager who previously contributed to Cuomo’s re-election campaigns, says he spoke to Hochul before James released the report’s findings. Gural publicly tuned Cuomo late last month and gave Hochul’s re-election campaign $ 5,000 in early July.

“I think she would do a great job replacing Andrew. I’ve known her since she ran for Congress and obviously she will have a chance to prove herself once Andrew finds out he’s done,” said Gural in an email on Monday. “Before the report, she never mentioned that she was responsible for anything other than Lt. Gov is running, but I told her I plan to attack Andrew publicly in the hope that my allegations stand and she should be ready. She laughed and I attacked him. “

Gural said Hochul only laughed because she didn’t take his threat to publicly blow up Cuomo seriously.

Another long-time Cuomo donor, who Hochul has known for years, is already preparing to take calls from her if Cuomo leaves office before next year’s elections.

“With his departure now (if it happens), Kathy will be in a strong position as she has several months to build rule over the party before the election shows up,” this donor wrote in an email to CNBC. “If he stayed but didn’t run for re-election, their chances would be severely limited.”

This person declined to be named to avoid retaliation from the governor.

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Warren Plans to Suggest Minimal Tax on Company Income

Warren Plans to Propose Minimum Tax on Corporate Profits

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and her allies will propose a minimum tax on the profits of the nation’s richest corporations, regardless of what they say they owe the government, as part of the Democrats’ $ 3.5 trillion economic and social package.

Ms. Warren’s so-called “real corporate income tax” was an important part of her presidential campaign, and she has enlisted Senator Angus King, of Independent Maine, to support her case that profitable corporations should be taxed regardless of loopholes and maneuvers that many of them do have made it possible to avoid state corporation tax altogether.

The move would require the most profitable companies to pay a 7 percent tax on the profits they report to investors – known as the annual book value – over $ 100 million. By taxing the revenues reported to investors, not the Internal Revenue Service, the Democrats would be making profits that companies would like to maximize, rather than the revenues they are trying to reduce for tax purposes.

“During the presidential campaign, Joe Biden and I were at odds on some tax policies, but we strongly agreed on one thing: Corporations shouldn’t be able to tell their shareholders they were making huge profits and then tell the IRS that they were not making a profit . ”“ Ms. Warren said in an interview.

Following the passing of a $ 1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill expected this week, Democrats will turn to a draft budget that sets out the terms of a sprawling multi-trillion dollar package that will support the rest of their ambitions of strengthening and paying for the nation’s social safety net by increasing taxes on wealthy individuals and businesses. If it releases the Senate, it is almost guaranteed as only the votes of the 50 Senators who join with the Democrats come in.

This package will not be fully implemented until the fall, but the unveiling of the sober draft has spurred Democrats like Ms. Warren to offer their proposed contributions. While suggestions on topics like free pre-K, community college, and family vacations have attracted a lot of attention, how it is paid, including the proposed tax hikes for the wealthy and businesses, will generate at least as much controversy. The campaign to further screen wealthy businesses was supported by reports from ProPublica showing that the richest Americans pay very little in taxes.

“Now is the time to put the revenue on the table to pay for our infrastructure plans – this is the time,” said Ms. Warren.

In a separate interview, Mr. King responded to the expected Republican criticism by saying, “This is not socialism – it is an attempt to have a fair tax at a fairly low level for companies that would otherwise pay zero.”

An economic analysis by Gabriel Zucman and Emmanuel Saez, economics professors at the University of California, Berkeley, who advised Ms. Warren during the presidential campaign, estimated that around 1,300 public companies would be affected by politics, generating nearly $ 700 billion by 2023 would and 2032.

“We understand that responsible legislation includes how it’s paid and These payments come from the billionaires and giant corporations who have avoided paying their fair share for so long, ”Ms. Warren said. “In order to get the tax revenue part of the reconciliation package right, the point is to make the competitive conditions a little more balanced for everyone.”

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CBO says bipartisan plan would add to finances deficits

CBO says bipartisan plan would add to budget deficits

A woman holds an umbrella against the sun as she walks the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, days after the removal of security fencing, during a heat wave in Washington, July 12, 2021.

Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

The bipartisan Senate infrastructure bill would add $256 billion to budget deficits over a decade, the Congressional Budget Office estimated Thursday.

The report from the nonpartisan agency did not take into account potential revenue increases created by economic growth. As it stands, the CBO said the bill, which does not include tax increases, would generate about $50 billion in revenue.

Senators who crafted the plan had said it would be fully paid for through a range of sources including repurposed coronavirus relief funds, unused unemployment insurance aid and economic activity generated by the investments.

In a statement responding to the CBO estimate, lead infrastructure negotiators Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Sen. Krysten Sinema, D-Ariz., said the bill’s spending “is offset through a combination of new revenue and savings, some of which is reflected in the formal CBO score and some of which is reflected in other savings and additional revenue identified in estimates, as CBO is limited in what it can include in its formal score.” They said they would work to get the bill passed by Congress and signed into law.

The Senate was considering amendments to the bill Thursday, and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., aims to pass it before early next week. The release of the CBO report was one of the key steps remaining before the Senate votes on the proposal.

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The legislation includes about $550 billion in new spending on transportation, broadband and utilities.

Republicans have renewed their concerns about federal spending and deficits as the Democratic Congress and White House push to invest trillions of dollars in infrastructure and social programs. Several GOP senators whose support may be needed to pass the bill have said its effect on long-term deficits would play a role in how they decide to vote on it.

It is unclear whether the CBO’s score would be enough to make any Republicans who back the plan reconsider their support for it. Senators who voted to move forward with the bill, including Roy Blunt, R-Mo., have said they wanted to see the CBO’s cost estimate for the plan.

President Joe Biden proposed a more than $2 trillion infrastructure plan earlier this year, calling for a hike in the corporate tax rate to 28% to pay for it.

Republicans criticized his plan, saying they would not support a bill that reversed their 2017 tax cuts. The law slashed the corporate rate to 21% from 35%.

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As Taliban Seize Cities, U.S. Says Afghan Forces Should Fend for Themselves

As Taliban Capture Cities, U.S. Says Afghan Forces Must Fend for Themselves

“We’ve seen this movie before,” Mr. Austin told his boss, in a reference to the Obama-era withdrawal from Iraq, which was followed by the rise of the Islamic State. The United States ended up returning to Iraq and launching five years of airstrikes in Iraq and Syria to help Iraqi security forces beat back that insurgent group.

Mr. Biden has argued for pulling out of Afghanistan for years. In 2009, while serving as vice president, he argued for a minimal force, only to be overruled as Mr. Obama ordered a surge of forces, then a rapid drawdown.

But a dozen years later, as president, he made the decision to withdraw, one of the most significant decisions of his presidency so far. And despite the likelihood that the White House will confront terrible images of human suffering and loss in the coming weeks and months, Mr. Biden has vowed to press ahead regardless of the conditions on the ground.

Polls show that large numbers of Americans in both parties support leaving Afghanistan.

Mr. Biden, declaring that the United States had long ago accomplished its mission of denying terrorists a haven in Afghanistan, said in April that all American troops would leave the country by Sept. 11. That date has since been moved up to Aug. 31, giving the Pentagon — and Afghan forces — just over a month to slow the Taliban surge.

Administration and military officials have voiced conflicting views on whether the United States will continue airstrikes after Aug. 31 to prevent Afghan cities and the Afghan government, led by President Ashraf Ghani, from falling. But even if the airstrikes continue, they can only do so much; the bulk of the effort will have to come from Afghan forces on the ground.

In any event, Kunduz was never going to be the Afghan city that might prompt Mr. Biden to rethink his strategy, two U.S. officials said on Sunday on condition of anonymity.

His hand might be forced if Taliban forces are on the verge of overrunning Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-largest city, or even Kabul, where the United States maintains an embassy with some 4,000 people.

Helene Cooper and Katie Rogers reported from Washington, and Thomas Gibbons-Neff from Kabul. Eric Schmitt contributed reporting from Washington.