BREAKING NEWS

President Biden is accelerating the deployment of 1,000 additional troops to Afghanistan to help U.S. personnel evacuate Kabul as the Taliban nears.

Saturday, August 14, 2021 5:56 PM EST

The move brings the number of troops in Afghanistan to 5,000, but Mr. Biden made clear in a lengthy statement that he would not renege on his campaign pledge to end the 20-year war in Afghanistan.

Mr. Biden's statement came as the Taliban overtook the strategic city of Mazar-i-Sharif. The city, a commercial hub and base for leaders of the former Northern Alliance, fell in just a little more than an hour on Saturday after the Taliban broke through Afghan security forces' front lines.

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