By: Ollus Ndomu
President Joe Biden on Friday met Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chair of the High Council for National Reconciliation in the Oval office of the White House in Washington as the two countries reteriarrated their bilateral relations.
During the long-hours meeting, President Biden promised the Afghan government a “sustained” partnership even as the U.S. government accelerates its withdrawal plan from the longest war amidst the surging Taliban violence.
The Biden administration vowed its commitment to assisting Afghanistan while insisting that it was time for U.S. to diffuse its longstanding military presence in that country.
“Afghans are going to have to decide their future,” Biden said in front of reporters minutes before his meeting with the visiting Afghan leaders.
Afghan leaders visited the White House amidst the Biden administration’s accelerating efforts for military withdrawal ahead of the U.S. September 11 deadline to wind down a two-decade enormously costing war.
Ghani also took time Friday to visit House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House Republican lawmakers including the Minority Leader, Senate Mitch McConnell on Thursday.