Biden Defends Ending “Forever War” in Afghanistan and Criticizes Using War as Tool for Nation-Building

President Joe Biden has forcefully defended his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, describing the removal of U.S. forces as an “extraordinary success.” He noted in a speech Tuesday that the U.S. helped more than 120,000 people flee Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power, and called for a new era in foreign policy.

Phyllis Bennis, a fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies, says Biden’s speech was honest about the costs of war and the need to get out, but adds that it’s “clearly not true” that the U.S. is winding down the War on Terror. “The U.S. is still waging war in a host of other countries.”

This interview originally aired at Democracy Now!, where a full transcript is available.