It is time to end America's longest war: US President Joe Biden on Afghanistan
Washington, Apr 14: US President Joe Biden says it is time to end America's longest war in Afghanistan and he does not want to pass on this responsibility to his successor, according to excerpts of his speech to the nation he plans later Wednesday.
Biden is the fourth US president to preside over the war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001, soon after Al Qaeda terrorists based in Afghanistan attacked the twin-towers in New York.
Observing that the US went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago, Biden will say that he "cannot explain" why the US should remain there in 2021.
"Rather than return to war with the Taliban, we have to focus on the challenges that will determine our standing and reach today and into the years to come," Biden will say.
A day earlier, the White House said that Biden has decided to withdraw all American troops out of war-torn Afghanistan by September 11 this year, the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack on the twin towers in New York.
"We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result, Biden will say according to excerpts of his speech released by the White House.
"I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats. I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth, he will say.
"After consulting closely with our Allies and partners, with our military leaders and intelligence professionals, with our diplomats and development experts, and with Congress and the Vice President, I have concluded that: It is time to end America's longest war. It is time for American troops to come home," Biden will say.
"While we will not stay involved in Afghanistan militarily, our diplomatic and humanitarian work will continue. We will continue to support the Government of Afghanistan," he will say.
"We will keep providing assistance to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. Along with our partners, we are training and equipping nearly 300,000 personnel. And they continue to fight valiantly on behalf of their country and defend the Afghan people, at great cost, the president will say.
"We will support peace talks between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, facilitated by the United Nations, he will say.
The US and the Taliban signed a landmark deal in Doha on February 29, 2020 to bring lasting peace in war-torn Afghanistan and allow US troops to return home from America's longest war.
Under the US-Taliban pact signed in Doha, the US agreed to withdraw all its soldiers from Afghanistan in 14 months.
Since the US-led invasion that ousted the Taliban after the September 11, 2001 attacks, America has spent more than USD 1 trillion in fighting and rebuilding in Afghanistan.
About 2,400 US soldiers have been killed, along with tens of thousands of Afghan troops, Taliban insurgents and Afghan civilians.
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Karnataka village switches off TVs, mobiles for two hours daily to help students study
Belagavi: Every evening at 7 pm, a siren rings out in Halaga, a village near Belagavi, signalling residents to switch off all screens including televisions, mobile phones, laptops and tablets for the next two hours.
The community has voluntarily adopted this “digital-free time” to help students focus on studies and to encourage families to spend more time talking to each other. The 'digital detox' initiative, 'No TV, no mobile, just study and conversation', is said to be the first such to be adopted by a Karnataka village, Deccan Herald reported on Monday.
According to the report, Halaga, which has a population of about 12,000 and is located close to the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, launched the initiative on December 17. A siren installed at the gram panchayat office marks the start of the no-screen period at 7 pm, and another siren at 9 pm signals its end.
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Gram panchayat authorities are reaching out to those residents who are yet to comply and are urging them to stay away from screen during the two hours.
Authorities are also visiting households that have not fully adopted the practice and are encouraging parents to follow the routine strictly. Teachers and panchayat members plan to continue meeting families to ensure more participation.
The Halaga village exercise is said to be inspired by a similar experiment in Agran Dhulgaon near Sangli in Maharashtra which had a positive response on students' learning habits.
