US President Joe Biden has defended his decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan saying the Afghan people must decide their own future.
He said he would not consign another generation of Americans to the 20-year war.
This comes as the Taliban militant group continues to seize territory around the country.
Speaking at the White House, Mr. Biden said the Afghan military has the ability to repel the Taliban, denying reports that U.S. intelligence had forecast a collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Kabul in six months amid warnings of a civil war.
Mr. Biden has set a target date of August 31, 2021, for the final withdrawal of U.S. forces.
Earlier this year, Mr Biden set a September 11, 2021 goal of withdrawing all US troops. Former President Donald Trump had agreed with the Taliban to pull out US troops by May 2021, but that deadline was pushed back by Mr Biden after he took office in January.
