﹛﹛ National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission卞方月午﹜譁曉祂霜扑旦氾丞毛恌馴卅膜咥橇謫卞失永皿弘伊□玉仄﹜方曰嫖蘸卅扑旦氾丞毛綜嶽允月卞反﹜漆詨50ヵ棉匹ヵ棉2250盔玉伙互优邰匹允﹝洘阨嫖簧し洬傾反﹜順午嫖簧し洬及捫迕由白巧□穴件旦毛荼螫允月凶戶卞﹜20ヵ棉ヵ棉1,300盔玉伙毛髑鳳允月优邰互丐月午扷屢仄化中引允﹝蜇箕﹜嶄及順及4坌及1反﹜厭瞻讀卞瑞棻互丐月井﹜窗Х讀卞凜醫贊木匹允﹝颱凶切及順及4坌及1反﹜厭瞻讀卞瑞棻互丐月井﹜窗Х讀卞凜醫贊木匹允﹝仄井仄﹜釐讓恄午隋狟邏隙く朿互瑛氏分仇及寧啦匹反﹜颱及襞月蜃曰匹反﹜1勾及瓦永弗伙互颱凶切及奶件白仿旦玄仿弁民乓卞ェ月歹仃匹反丐曰引六氏﹝奶件白仿旦玄仿弁民乓卞髑鳳允月优邰互丐曰引允﹝奶件白仿毛荼螫允月优邰互丐曰引允﹝
﹛﹛ 今日卞﹜Citizens For Tax Justice及伊禾□玄卞方月午﹜2001ヵ井日2003ヵ引匹及劑卅仁午手1ヵ棉卞﹜失丟伉市及白巧□民亙件500渠僅82模﹋500模醱82模﹌互洘阨赭ぜ曖毛未伕動票匹障囮勻化中引允﹝曖及懇聒及凶戶及閩戔井日及扷屢﹝公仄化﹜Citizens For Tax Justice伊禾□玄反﹜慼及方丹卞課屯化中引允﹝
﹛﹛ USA Today及筏儀卞方月午﹜2﹜000ヵ井日2007ヵ卞井仃化﹜醱峸閉菟及襠嶺﹋輝嶺及杅互曉澎仁中勻凶﹌反﹜醱峸閉菟及襠嶺及璋ェ互11.2☉蛹劑仄﹜奶件白伊譬幫詨﹜7,700玉伙及蛹劑毛煩董仄引仄凶﹝ ﹝仇及ヵ昦遽及醱峸閉菟及輝嶺手﹜璋ェ互4.8☉蛹劑仄引仄凶﹝公木匹鄐擗洃咫吨磥狺氻中酗毛仄引仄凶﹜仄井仄襠嶺反今日卞夫升中仇午毛仄引仄凶﹝匹允井日﹜颱凶切互葦化中月及反﹜卅兮諦★互變勻化中月及井﹜公仄化卅兮仇及嶄互棉啜勻凶杅輊卞褡氏匹中月午諦★互嗶尹月及井毛咥荸允月仇午匹允﹝
﹛﹛ Alliance for Excellence Education﹜2009ヵ及犯□正“1,800及田□乒件玄膛及疆侹卞方曰﹜膛及戲雀璋ェ互4盔5,900坳玉伙撩歹木﹜啣恓韙1,940坳玉伙卞卅曰引仄凶﹝蛻中晶尹木壬﹜丐卅凶互潦中諦凶切卞髑鳳仄卅仃木壬﹜鄐擗狨蜓瘍炊ШИ滮藡坐羊宦紡啎豸洃吨擗吨中中丹仇午毛簿手互咥荸仄化中引允﹝聶仁及樺寧﹜鄐擗牳姜岆侘嚽炊妘駜陘侅媏縣楔牏-呾泔﹜筵﹜窒匹手﹝鄐擗牬Х空炊侇睽魚磥侔木日木﹜颱凶切反鄐擗羆珩韙怹蜓瘍炊吤嵽韞苤慾珊И滮庛衋竣巠甭菑佴袑奶楔々中諵葦卅允及匹反卅仁﹜滓抭赭卞ェ木化云仁凶戶卞醒坳玉伙毛韙鉹馱酗卞卅曰引允﹝
﹛﹛ Citizens for Tax Justice卞方月午﹜曉匏2☉及皮永扑亙蛹曖互曹贏今木凶樺寧﹜仇木日反硫溼毛熬仃月諦★及域朿匹丐曰﹜鄐擗狩鶪惜貒虞瓣弮懫鄐牳﹞峇云曰匹允﹝NewsCorporation及CEO匹丐月RupertMurdoch互熬仃潸月侳ヵ反130坳玉伙及蛹曖﹝穴□玉永弁頗反盔坳贏樊匹允﹝颱凶切反呿癲卞鄐洶膜鴗藙疤蚺仄化中月午閤中引允井〝嗡墊互洘阨賞鷩怵暀咫290盔玉伙及菌碧毛熬仃凶JP乒伙布件’民尼□旦及毚リ樊匹丐月斥尼奶立□’母奶乒件反﹜110坳玉伙及蛹曖毛熬仃月仇午卞卅曰引允﹝颱毛耨元化仁分今中﹜JP乒伙布件’民尼□旦及毚リ樊匹丐月斥尼奶立□’母奶乒件反丹引仁支勻化中引允﹝500盔玉伙及菌碧毛熬仃凶嗡墊匹丐月扑氾奴弘伙□皿及CEO匹丐月VikramPandit反﹜785,000玉伙及曖僱輪毛熬仃月仇午卞卅曰引允﹝田件弁左皮失丟伉市及葭CEO匹丐月弗件伙奶旦﹋450盔玉伙及菌碧毛熬仃凶嗡墊﹌反﹜允匹卞騞鴾冞脾﹞リ═瞗713,000玉伙及蛹曖毛熬仃月仇午卞卅曰引允﹝它尼伙朮白央□打及CEO-仇木日反失丟伉市匹瘉釐及嗡墊匹允﹝仇木日及嗡墊及CEO反允匹卞蛤喊及扷蔆毛障囮勻化中引允﹝它尼伙朮白央□打及CEO匹丐月斥亦件旦正件白反﹜咍ヵ318,000玉伙及蛹曖毛熬仃月仇午卞卅曰引允﹝嗡墊互100盔玉伙及菌碧毛熬仃凶乒伙布件’旦正件伊□及CEO﹜斥亦件’穴永弁反﹜ヵ棉926,000玉伙及蛹曖毛熬仃月仇午卞卅曰引允﹝Aetna及CEO匹丐月RonaldWilliams反﹜875,000玉伙鍬癲及曖僱輪毛熬仃月仇午卞卅曰引允﹝
﹛﹛ 髑鳳午仄化及伕申□唾が互中井卞枘井月井毛嗶尹月午﹜公木反蛤釐卅申斥生旦卞卅曰引仄凶﹝2010ヵ2畸﹜Centre for Responsive Politics反﹜升及僅釵互蟆ヵ及腔莘卞中仁日髑鳳仄凶井毛抸日井卞仄引仄凶﹝蟈蟲午仄化﹜2009ヵ卞腔莘卞檐傷讀卞伕申□唾が毛墊勻凶瓚狤伕申奶旦玄及醒反13,694諦匹丐曰﹜伕申□唾が及鍚障請反-
﹛﹛ 切卅心卞﹜公木反啣恓孺蘸荼啻及蟆匹仄凶﹝颱及雄中蹂竅-公及醒互2у卞卅日卅井勻凶日颱反騞鴾侀瓣咫鴗諵酗匹仄斤丹﹝丐卅凶互漆ヵ及目伙旦弗失伕申奶旦玄分勻凶卅日﹜颱毛耨元化仁分今中﹜丐卅凶反午化手丹引仁支勻化中引允﹝鄐擗洃═薑酗薑豸中ヾ═縣尹壬﹜颱互扔禾□玄仄化中月簽域障囮樊皿伕弘仿丞匹丐月Medicare for all匹﹜雄恘卅啣恓芊副毛騷聊今六卅中方丹卞仄引仄凶﹝公及曉﹜4盔6500坳玉伙毛韙鉹楔蕊獌說〨搛情〧堁偵熄釵毛寧歹六凶手及互丐曰引允﹝
Last night, I was honored when Sidney Powell called me and asked me to serve as lead counsel for her in defending the frivolous defamation lawsuit filed against her by Dominion.
I quickly accepted. Get ready to rumble, Dominion. You made a mistake suing Sidney. You are going to pay a heavy price.
Sidney and I will not be intimidated. We will not go quietly in the night.
Hey Dominion, I will see you and your employees and officers soon as truth is pursued and established. I will see you across the table where you will be subjected to a thorough and sifting cross-examination under oath. I know how to deal with legal bullies like you.
﹍These challenges are part of putting on races in a big city - we﹊re are just going to get on with preparing to compete.
仇木日及踹撙及翌鎖反﹜釐籥閩匹伊□旦毛墊丹午五及域朿匹允及匹﹜脫★反階絰及賞髐礞楔牏飽
This week, local residents complained to Japanese media that the bay smelled like a toilet, fuelling concerns of elevated levels of the dangerous E-coli bacteria which is found in sewerage.
漆蔥﹜譁葭蝠戔反﹜>珇互玄奶伊及方丹卅卞云中互仄化﹜票踹し匹葦勾井月釐觸嗜互渣萵卅伊矛伙引匹曉噥允月睦ヶ互丐月=午ゥ呿及穴旦丟犯奴失卞尕坢毛炡日仄引仄凶﹝
The problem is not without precedent - athletes in outdoor water events at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil faced severe pollution in venues for rowing, sailing, canoeing, open-water swimming, and triathlon.
公及杽鎖反蟆拺互卅中歹仃匹反丐曰引六氏﹝
皮仿斥伙匹釩瘍今木凶2016ヵ伉左’左伉件疋永弁及盒陸它巧□正□奶矛件玄及失旦伉□玄﹋示□玄﹜本□伉件弘﹜市甘□﹜左□皿件它巧□正□旦奶立件弘﹜玄仿奶失旦伕件﹌反﹜莘樺匹蕉對卅條癆卞躂昍仄引仄凶﹝
I wanna speak today - a(?) foreign situation of Afghanistan
漆ゥ反狪仄凶中仇午互丐月 失白布瓦旦正件及酗陸儀樹匹允﹝
The development that have taken place on last week and the steps we're taking to address the rapidly evolving events.
燮蔥墊歹木凶釩(?)﹛午﹜萌簧卞褡墊允月儀謫卞覆殺允月凶戶及旦氾永皿毛仍懊莞仄引允﹝
My national security team and I have been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Afghanistan
and moving quickly to execute the plans we had put in place
to respond to every constituency and contingency including the rapid collapse we're seeing now.
颱及嶄笮兜蟈忡整民□丞午颱反﹜失白布瓦旦正件及蜇樺及橇須毛鏜啦蕉仁棘骰仄﹜
蜇箕葦日木月萌簧卅旰莽毛殖戶﹜丐日斗月厭嶽邰豳支尕竅及儀謫卞覆殺允月凶戶卞迕啦仄凶煌脰毛撢墊允月凶戶卞謂簧卞墊が仄化五引仄凶﹝
I'll speak more in a moment about the specific steps we're taking
but I want to remind everyone how we got here
and what america's interests are in Afghanistan.
填蟲讀卅潸曰賺心卞勾中化反詨幻升云狪仄仄引允互﹜
仇仇卞骯月引匹及煩啕午﹜
失白布瓦旦正件卞云仃月失丟伉市及楮艘儀毛釦今氏卞云鰻尹仄凶中午閤中引允﹝
We went to Afghanistan alomost 20 years ago
with clear goals,
颱凶切反沶20ヵ蟆﹜抸割卅杴伓毛儅勻化失白布瓦旦正件卞墊勻凶﹝
get those who attacked us on september 11, 2001
2001ヵ9畸11ゥ卞岊嶄毛僎猾仄凶諦★毛忯日尹月凶戶卞
and
今日卞﹜
make sure al-Qaida could not use Afghanistan as a base from which to attack us again.
失伙市奶母互失白布瓦旦正件毛蛞鰾午仄化瘋太脫★毛僎猾匹五卅中方丹卞允月仇午匹仄凶﹝
We did that.
颱凶切反公丹仄引仄凶﹝
We severely degraded al-Qaida in Afghanistan.
颱凶切反﹜失白布瓦旦正件及失伙市奶母毛酈瓖讀卞澆蟲祭今六引仄凶﹝
We never gave up the hunt for Osama bin laden and we got him.
That was a decade ago.
左扔穴’申件仿犯奴件及邀綢毛丐五日戶內卞墊中﹜鄐藡嶀擗角縑
公木反10ヵ蟆及仇午匹允﹝
Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been nation building.
失白布瓦旦正件匹及脫★及リ抭反﹜嶄笮睛澀匹反卅井勻凶反內匹允﹝
It was never supposed to be creating a unified, centralized democracy.
讓域今木凶醱梡螂腺讀卅戔潛潛聒毛厭蹲允月仇午反邂爛仄化中引六氏匹仄凶﹝
Our only vital interests in Afghanistan remains today what has always been
preventing a terrorist attack on american homeland.
失白布瓦旦正件卞云仃月脫★及礿域及褐邰卅楮艘儀反﹜漆ゥ手仇木引匹午き迋卞﹜
失丟伉市呿蘿尺及氾伕僎猾毛侂什仇午卞丐曰引允﹝
I've argued for many years that our mission should be narrowly focused on counter terrorism, not counter or nation building.
颱反贏ヵ卞歹凶曰﹜脫★及銀抰反氾伕覆綺卞蜃爛今木月屯五匹丐曰﹜蕙滮銋騍睛澀匹反卅中午潛艦仄化五引仄凶﹝
That's why aposed serge when I know what inplosion 2009 when I was by president.
(殘★Youtube儂呠互握惜賳躅磥洶═諢纂纂 蟈螺憤耨拑中﹝2009午皿伊斥犯件玄互丐勻凶及反割井分午閤丹)
That's why as president I'm adamant we focus on the threats we face today in 2021, not yesterday's threats.
分井日仇公﹜颱反釐讓恄午仄化﹜緊ゥ引匹及飲曼匹反卅仁﹜2021ヵ卞躂昍允月漆ゥ及飲曼卞學鰾毛癲化月仇午毛裔仁瑁啦仄化中引允﹝
Today the terrorist threat has metastasized well beyond Afghanistan.
蜇箕﹜氾伕及飲曼反失白布瓦旦正件動陸卞手僮互勻化中引允﹝
Al-Shabaab in Somalia,
al-Qaida in the iranian peninsula,
(失件甘□扔伉□旦伉失〝 午井妏仇尹月及互韌引月)
ISIS attempting to create a call fate in Syria and Iraq
and establishing affiliates in multiple countries in Africa and Asia.
末穴伉失及失伙’扑乓田皮﹜
奶仿件嬝蝷峊╞諢戎咱丰嚏
扑伉失午奶仿弁匹裟殺楮溢毛綜欠丹午仄化中月ISIS﹜
公仄化失白伉市午失斥失及呁醒及嶄卞楮洘莘模(T蕉畛縞〝)毛澀峏仄化中月﹝
There threats warrant our attention and our resources.
仇木日及飲曼反﹜脫★及鏜啦午鳳蜓毛优邰午允月手及匹允﹝
We conduct effective counter terrorism missions
against terrorist groups from multiple countries
where we don't have permanent military presence.
颱凶切反﹜躲絆讀卅氾伕覆綺立永扑亦件毛撢雒仄化中引允﹝
呁醒及嶄及氾伕伉旦玄弘伙□皿卞覆仄化﹝
僚菁讀卅歲儀讀皿伊未件旦毛儅凶卅中呁醒及嶄及﹝(皿伊未件旦升丹沭允井坌井日氏)
If necessary, we'll do the same in Afghanistan.
优邰匹丐木壬﹜失白布瓦旦正件匹手き元仇午毛仄引允﹝
We developed counter terrorism over the horizon capability
that will allow us to keep our eyes firmly fixed on the direct threats of the United States and the region
and act quickly and decisively if needed.
颱凶切反﹜踹尪瞬毛旋尹凶氾伕覆綺Х恘毛釩砟楔牏楔縑
公木反﹜岊嶄午譁啗及躂濤讀卅飲曼卞仄勻井曰午杴毛輊仃﹜
优邰卞殺元化謂簧井勾蠅裔午仄凶墊が毛午月仇午互匹五引允﹝
When I came into office,
I inherited a deal that president trump negotiated with the Taliban.
颱互耦リ仄凶午五﹜
颱反玄仿件皿釐讓恄互正伉田件午跟奮仄凶潸婁毛煤噩仄引仄凶﹝
Under his agreement U.S. Forces will be out of Afghanistan by May 1, 2021.
仇及寧啦卞湘勿五﹜岊歲反2021ヵ5畸1ゥ引匹卞失白布瓦旦正件井日鑄轉仄引允﹝
Just a little over three months after I took office.
U.S. Forces had already drawn down from the Trump administration from roughly 15,000 American forces.
耦リ仄化井日歹內井3仳畸丐引曰﹝
岊歲反允匹卞玄仿件皿嶸腺井日云方公15,000諦及岊歲毛鑄轉今六化中引仄凶﹝
(drawn down ≠drain∞ 心凶中卞妏仇尹月__﹛丐午15,00≠5∞ 卞妏仇尹月)
2,500 troops in country
and the Taliban has strongest military since 2001.
(引凶Youtube儂呠互握惜)
2,500諦及朿邇互鏤帢仄化云曰﹜
正伉田件反2001ヵ動嫦﹜歲儀讀卞瘉手雄中橇謫卞丐曰引仄凶﹝
The choice I had to make
as your president
was either to follow through on that agreement
or be prepared to go back to fighting the Taliban
in the middle of the Spring fighting season.
颱互﹜筑杅杅及釐讓恄午仄化薊鎗仄卅仃木壬卅日卅井勻凶及反﹜
仇及寧啦毛撢墊允月井﹜
公木午手正伉田件午及爵中卞枑月創貊毛允月井午中丹仇午匹仄凶﹝
調及爵お扑□朮件及瘉醱卞﹝
(調お扑□朮件__〝)
There was no agreement of protecting our forces after May 1.
There is no status quo of stability without American casualties after May 1.
There was only cold reality of following through on the agreement to withdraw our forces or escalating the conflict and sending 1000 more American troops back into combat in Afghanistan.
Lunching into the third decade of conflict.
I stand squarely behind my decision.
After 20 years I've learned the hard way that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. Forces.
That's why we're still there.
We were clear-eyed about the risk.
We planned for every contingency, but I always promised the American people that I'll be straight with you.
The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.
So what's happend?
Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country.
The Afghanistan military collapsed some time without trying to fight.
If anything, the developments of the past week reinforced that any U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision.
American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan Forces are not willing to fight for themselves.
We spent over $1 trillion.
We trained and equipped an Afghan military force of some 300,000 strong.
Incredibly well equipped.
A force larger in size than the militaries of many of our NATO Allies.
We gave them every tool they could need.
We paid their salaries, provided for the maintenance of their air force, something the Taliban doesn't have.
Taliban does not have an air force.
You provided close air support.
We gave them every chance to determine their own future.
We could not provide them was the will to fight for that future.
Some very brave and capable Afghans special forces units and soldiers.
If Afghanistan is unable to mount any real resistance to the Taliban now, there is no chance that one year, one more year, five more years or 20 more years, U.S. military boots on the ground would have made any difference.
Here's what I believe to my core, it is wrong to order American troops to step up when Afghanistan's own armed forces would not.
Political leaders of Afghanistan were unable to come together for the good of their people, unable to negotiate for the future of their country when the chips were down.
They would never have done so while U.S. troops remained in Afghanistan bearing the brunt of the fighting for them.
And our two strategic competitors, China and Russia, would love nothing more than the United States to continue to funnel billions of dollars in resources and attention into stabilizing Afghanistan indefinitely.
When I hosted president Ghani at the white house in June and again when I spoke by phone to Ghani in July we had very frank conversations.
We talked abount how Afghanistan should prepare to fight their civil wars after the U.S. military departs, to clean up the corruption in government so the government could function for the Afghan people.
We talked extensively about the need for Afghan leaders to unite politically.
I also urge them to engage in diplomacy, to seek a political settlement with the Taliban.
This advice was flatley refused.
Mr. Ghani insisted the Afghan forces would fight but obviously he was wrong.
Left again to ask of those who argue that we should stay, how many more generations of America's daughters and sons would you have me send to fight Afghanistan's civil war when Afghan troops will not?
How many more lives, American lives, is it worth?
How many endless roads of head stones at arlington national cemetery?
I'm clear on my answer.
I will not repeat the mistakes we've made in the past, mistake of staying, fighting indefinitely for a conflict not in the national interest of the United States, of doubling down on a civil war in a foreign country, of attempting to remaining country to the endless military developments of U.S. Forces.
Those are the mistakes we cannot continue to repeat because we have significant vital interests in the world that we cannot afford to ignore.
I also want to acknowledge how painful this is to so many.
Seems we're seeing in Afghanistan -- the scenes we're seeing in Afghanistan are gut-wrenching particularly for our veterans, diplomats, humanitarian workers, for anyone who has spent time on the ground working to support the Afghan people, for those who have lost loved ones in Afghanistan and for Americans who have fought and served in the country, serve our country in Afghanistan.
This is deeply deeply personal.
This for me as well.
I've worked on these issues as long as anyone.
I've been throughout Afghanistan during this war while the war was going on, from Kabul to Kandahar to the Kunar valley.
I've traveled on four different occasions.
I met with the people, I've spoken to the leaders.
I spent time with our troops and I came to understand first hand what was and was not possible in Afghanistan.
So now we're focused on what is possible.
We will continue to support the Afghan people.
We will lead with our diplomacy, our international influence and humanitarian AID.
We'll continue to push for regional diplomacy and engagement against violence and instability.
We'll continue to speak out for the basic rights of Afghan people, of women and girls, just as we speak out all over the world.
I've been clear human rights must be the center of our foreign policy, not the periphery.
But the way to do it is not through endless military deployments.
It's with our diplomacy, our economic tool and rallying the world to join us.
Let me lay out the current mission in Afghanistan.
I was asked to authorize and I did 6,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan for the purpose of assisting the departure of U.S. and allied civilian personnel from Afghanistan and to evacuate our Afghan allies and vulnerable Afghans to safety outside of Afghanistan.
Our troops are working to secure the air field and ensure continued operation both the civilian and military flights.
We're taking over air traffic control.
We have safely shut down our embassy and transferred our diplomats.
Our diplomatic presence is now consolidated at the airport as well.
Over the coming days we intend to transport out thousands of American citizens who have been living and working in Afghanistan.
We'll also continue to support the safe departure civilian personnel, civilian personnel of our allies who are still serving in Afghanistan.
Operation allies REV JEW which I announced back in July has already moved 2000 Afghans who are eligible for special immigration visas and their families to the United States.
In the coming days U.S. military will provide assistance to move more SIB eligible Afghans and their families out of Afghanistan.
We're also expanding refugee access to cover other vulnerable Afghans who worked for our embassy.
U.S. non-government agency or the U.S. non-governmenttal organization and Afghans who otherwise are at great risk and U.S. news agencies.
I know there are concerns about why we did not begin evacuating Afghan civilians sooner.
Part of the answer some of the Afghans did not want to leave earlier, still hopeful for their country.
Partly because the Afghan government and its supporters discouraged us from organizing a mass exodus to avoid triggering as they said crisis confidence.
American troops are performing this mission as professionally and as effectively as they always do.
But it is not without risk.
As we carry out this departure, we have made it clear to the Taliban if they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the U.S. presence will be swift and the response will be swift and forceful.
We will defend our perople with devastating force, if necessary.
Our current military mission will be short in time, limited in scope and focused in its objectives.
Yet our people and our allies as safely, as quickly as possible and once we have completed this mission, we will conclude our military with drawal, we'll end America's longest war after 20 long years of blood shed.
The events we're seeing now are sadly proof that no amount of military force would ever deliver a stable, united, secure Afghanistan.
That's known in history as the graveyard of empires.
What's happening now could just as easily happen five years ago or 15 years in the future.
You have to be honest, our mission in Afghanistan has taken many missteps, made many missteps over the past two decades.
I'm now the fourth American president to preside over gar in Afghanistan, two democrats and two republicans.
I will not pass this responsibility on to a fifth president.
I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference, nor will I shrink from my share of responsibility for where we are today and how we must move forward from here.
I am president of the United States of America and the buck stops with me.
I'm deeply saddend by the facts we now face.
But I do not regret my decision to end America's war fighting in Afghanistan and maintain a laser focus on our counter terrorism mission there and other parts of the world, a mission to degrade the terrorist threat of al-Qaida in Afghanistan and kill Osama bin laden was a success from a decades long effort to overcome centuries of history and permanently change and remaining Afghanistan was not, and I wrote and believed it never could be.
I cannot and will not ask our troops to fight on endlessly in another country's civil war, taking casualty, suffering life-shattering injuries, leaving families broken by grief and loss.
This is not in our national security interests.
It is not what the American people want.
It is not what you're troops who have sacrificed so much over the past two decades deserve.
I made a commitment to the American people when I ran for president that I would bring America's military involvement in Afghanistan to an end.
While it's been hard and messy and yes far from perfect, I've honored that commitment.
More Importantly I made a commitment to the brave men and women who serve this nation that I wasn't going to ask them to continue to risk their lives in the military action that should have ended long ago.
Our leaders did that in Vietnam when I got here as a young man.
I vill not do it in Afghanistan.
I know my decision will be criticized.
But I would rather take all that criticism and pass this decision on to another president of the United States, yet another one, a fifth one, because it's the right one, the right decision for our people, the right one for our brief service members who risked their lives serving our nation, and it's the right one for America.
Thank you and GOD protect our troops, our diplomats, all brave Americans serving in harm's way.
*2 Garfield, Eugene (June 1998).
﹍The Impact Factor and Using It Correctly﹎. Der Unfallchirurg 101 (6): 413?414. PMID 9677838.
ttp://www.garfield.library.upenn.edu/papers/derunfallchirurg_v101(6)p413y1998english.html