U.S. President Joe Biden calls veterans before Afghanistan withdrawal anniversary

Joe Biden spoke to the leaders of AfghanEvac and Honour the Promise groups to express his appreciation for their work resettling Afghan allies in the United States since the U.S. ended the 20-year war in Afghanistan.

President Joe Biden on August 29 called the leaders of two U.S. veteran groups assisting Afghans who have fled from the country, on the eve of the first year anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Mr. Biden spoke to the leaders of the veterans-led AfghanEvac and Honour the Promise groups to express his appreciation for their work resettling Afghan allies in the United States since the U.S. ended the 20-year war in Afghanistan.

“They discussed the substantial efforts that have been undertaken by the U.S. government, veterans and by so many Americans of all stripes to welcome nearly 90,000 Afghans to our country over the past year and the U.S. government's ongoing efforts to build a sustainable model to support relocation efforts and honour our commitments,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said. Tuesday (August 30) marks the first year anniversary of Mr. Biden declaring an end to the war.

The final weeks of America's longest war were chaotic as the U.S.-backed Afghan government collapsed, a grisly bombing killed 13 U.S. troops and 170 others, and thousands of desperate Afghans descended on Kabul's airport in search of a way out before the final U.S. cargo planes departed.

Mr. Biden continues to face criticism from immigrant refugee advocates that the administration has fallen short in resettling Afghans who assisted the U.S. war effort.

As of last month, more than 74,000 Afghan applicants remained in the pipeline for special immigrant visas that help military interpreters and others who worked on government-funded contracts move to the United States and pave the way for them to receive a green card. That total counts only the principal applicant and does not include spouses and children.