US on Afghanistan withdrawal deadline: Only Biden decides

‘Ultimately, it will be the president’s decision how this proceeds; no one else’s,’ top US official says.

Only President Joe Biden decides when Unites States troops will leave Afghanistan, his top national security adviser Jake Sullivan said, after the Taliban threatened the White House with “consequences” if American forces remain in the country beyond August 31. “Ultimately, it will be the president’s decision how this proceeds; no one else’s,” Jake Sullivan said on Monday at a news briefing. He confirmed that the US is “engaging” and “consulting” with the Taliban on “every aspect of what’s happening in Kabul right now”.