WASHINGTON/NEW YORK -- The U.S. has completed the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, officially bringing to a close its nearly 20-year military operation that began shortly after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
President Joe Biden thanked U.S. soldiers for carrying out the dangerous evacuation from Afghanistan, saying that "the past 17 days have seen our troops execute the largest airlift in U.S. history," as they evacuated over 120,000 civilians. "Now, our 20-year military presence in Afghanistan has ended," he said in a statement. He will address the nation on Tuesday.