Zack, Jenn, and Alex talk about President Joe Biden’s announcement that all remaining US troops will withdraw from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 — the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that launched the war. They discuss what the US withdrawal means for the near-term future of Afghanistan, why Biden finally made the tough call that his predecessors couldn’t (or wouldn’t), and what that decision tells us about how Biden sees the future of US military engagement abroad.

References:

Here’s Alex’s Vox story on Biden’s announcement to withdraw all US troops by September 11.

Alex interviewed experts making the best case for and against an Afghanistan withdrawal.

Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal speech is on the White House’s website.

The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security ranked Afghanistan as the second-worst country for women.

The BBC reports that the Taliban is already claiming it won the war.

The Wall Street Journal reported how the US is looking to other countries to base its counterterrorism forces.

Here’s the story by the Daily Beast’s Spencer Ackerman on how Biden defended the war on terrorism.

Hosts:

Zack Beauchamp (@zackbeauchamp), senior correspondent, Vox

Jennifer Williams (@jenn_ruth), senior foreign editor, Vox

Alex Ward (@AlexWardVox), White House reporter, Vox

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