WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 03: Joe Biden spoke during the 19th Annual HRC National Dinner at Walter E. Washington Convention Center on October 3, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:07 AM PT – Monday, April 19, 2021
The White House said it cannot guarantee what will happen in Afghanistan once American troops leave the region.
On Sunday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. has achieved all its goals after sending troops to the Middle East nearly 20 years ago.
Sullivan said Joe Biden has no intention of sending more troops to Afghanistan, despite being aware the move could embolden terrorist groups in the region.
WASHINGTON, DC – FEBRUARY 04: National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to reporters during the daily press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House February 04, 2021 in Washington, D.C.(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Lawmakers are divided on the issue, as some expressed concerns that groups like the Taliban could further destabilize the country.
Sullivan explained the Biden administration wants to focus on more pressing threats.
“The terrorist threat has changed dramatically over the last 20 years, it’s not just about Afghanistan anymore,” Sullivan explained. “Al-Qaeda is in Yemen, ISIS is in Syria and Iraq, Al-Qaeda is in Somalia and Syria and many other places.”
Sullivan said the only troops that will remain in the region will be security for the U.S. Embassy.
