Watch Live: Biden addresses evacuations from Afghanistan as withdrawal deadline looms
CBSN
Washington — President Biden will provide an update Tuesday about his administration's efforts to evacuate thousands of U.S. citizens and vulnerable Afghans from Kabul as he faces questions about whether the August 31 deadline to pull the remaining American forces from the country will stand.
Mr. Biden said Sunday discussions were taking place with military officials as to whether he would push back his deadline for withdrawing the final U.S. troops from Afghanistan to ensure all Americans and at-risk allies are safely shuttled out of the country. Roughly 6,000 service members were sent to Afghanistan to assist with the evacuation efforts after the collapse of the Afghan government and rapid Taliban takeover sparked chaos in the capital of Kabul.Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.