US to soon withdraw troops from Afghanistan

The Biden administration has planned a military exit by the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that first drew the US into its longest war.

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The decision, which Biden is expected to announce tomorrow—Wednesday will keep thousands of U.S. forces in the country beyond the May 1 exit deadline that the Trump administration negotiated last year with the Taliban.

Biden's new September 11 deadline to withdraw US troops would mark a symbolic end to the longest war in American history: Exactly 20 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that sparked the initial US invasion of Afghanistan.

The official said the objectives of the initial invasion of Afghanistan -- to deliver justice for the 9/11 attacks and disrupt terrorists -- had been achieved "some years ago."

"This is not 2001. It's 2021. In 2021, the terrorist threat we face, emanates from several countries, indeed many continents," the senior administration official said.

However, the plan is not yet public.

While the Taliban has vowed to renew attacks on U.S. and NATO personnel if foreign troops are not out by the deadline, it is not clear if the militants will follow through with those threats given Biden’s plan for a phased withdrawal between now and September.

Officially, there are 2,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, although the number fluctuates and is currently about 1,000 more than that.

There are also up to an additional 7,000 foreign forces in the coalition there, the majority of them are NATO troops.