1 00:00:02,940 --> 00:00:03,960 Good afternoon , 2 00:00:08,040 --> 00:00:09,984 I'm speaking to you today from the 3 00:00:09,984 --> 00:00:12,150 Roosevelt , the treaty Room in the 4 00:00:12,150 --> 00:00:14,940 White House , The same spot where on 5 00:00:14,940 --> 00:00:18,800 October of 2001 , President George W 6 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,120 Bush informed our nation in the United 7 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:23,640 States military has begun strikes on 8 00:00:23,650 --> 00:00:26,160 terrorist training camps in Afghanistan . 9 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,310 It was just weeks , just weeks after 10 00:00:29,310 --> 00:00:31,532 the terrorist attack on our nation that 11 00:00:31,532 --> 00:00:35,100 killed 2,977 innocent 12 00:00:35,100 --> 00:00:38,590 souls that turned lower 13 00:00:38,590 --> 00:00:40,460 Manhattan into a disaster area , 14 00:00:41,140 --> 00:00:43,640 destroyed parts of the pentagon and 15 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:45,696 made hallowed ground in the field in 16 00:00:45,696 --> 00:00:49,370 shanksville pennsylvania and sparked an 17 00:00:49,370 --> 00:00:52,280 american promise that we would never 18 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:55,460 forget Went to Afghanistan in 19 00:00:55,460 --> 00:00:58,750 2001 to root out al Qaeda to prevent 20 00:00:58,750 --> 00:01:00,806 future terrorist attacks against the 21 00:01:00,806 --> 00:01:03,150 United States plan from Afghanistan . 22 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:06,460 Our objective is clear because it was 23 00:01:06,460 --> 00:01:09,180 just our NATO allies and partners 24 00:01:09,180 --> 00:01:12,760 rallied beside us and I supported that 25 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:14,982 military action along with overwhelming 26 00:01:14,982 --> 00:01:17,093 majority of the members of Congress . 27 00:01:17,093 --> 00:01:20,550 More than seven years later . In 2008 28 00:01:21,140 --> 00:01:23,380 weeks before we swore the oath of 29 00:01:23,380 --> 00:01:25,940 office , President Obama and I , we're 30 00:01:25,940 --> 00:01:28,310 about to swear President Obama asked me 31 00:01:28,310 --> 00:01:30,310 to travel to Afghanistan and report 32 00:01:30,310 --> 00:01:32,088 back on the state of the war in 33 00:01:32,088 --> 00:01:35,330 Afghanistan . I flew to Afghanistan to 34 00:01:35,330 --> 00:01:38,160 the Kunar Valley , a rugged mountainous 35 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,450 region on the border with Pakistan . 36 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,660 What I saw on that trip reinforced my 37 00:01:43,670 --> 00:01:46,710 conviction , but only the Afghans have 38 00:01:46,710 --> 00:01:48,821 the right and responsibility to leave 39 00:01:48,821 --> 00:01:51,050 their country and that more and endless 40 00:01:51,050 --> 00:01:53,620 american military force could not 41 00:01:53,620 --> 00:01:55,820 create or sustain a durable afghan 42 00:01:55,820 --> 00:01:58,540 government . I believed that our 43 00:01:58,540 --> 00:02:00,429 presence in Afghanistan should be 44 00:02:00,429 --> 00:02:02,484 focused on the reason we went in the 45 00:02:02,484 --> 00:02:04,920 first place to ensure Afghanistan would 46 00:02:04,920 --> 00:02:06,920 not be used as a base from which to 47 00:02:06,920 --> 00:02:09,620 attack our homeland . Again , we did 48 00:02:09,620 --> 00:02:12,350 that . We accomplished that objective , 49 00:02:13,340 --> 00:02:15,830 I said . Among with others , we'd 50 00:02:15,830 --> 00:02:18,090 follow Osama bin laden to the gates of 51 00:02:18,090 --> 00:02:20,930 hell , if need be , that's exactly what 52 00:02:20,930 --> 00:02:24,500 we did . And we got him . It took us 53 00:02:24,500 --> 00:02:26,930 close to 10 years to put President 54 00:02:26,930 --> 00:02:30,790 Obama commitment in the form and 55 00:02:30,790 --> 00:02:33,100 that's exactly what happened . Osama 56 00:02:33,100 --> 00:02:36,170 bin laden was gone . That was 10 years 57 00:02:36,170 --> 00:02:39,360 ago . Think about that . We deliver 58 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:42,740 justice to Bin laden a decade ago and 59 00:02:42,740 --> 00:02:44,629 we've stayed in Afghanistan for a 60 00:02:44,629 --> 00:02:48,520 decade since . Since then , our 61 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,576 reasons for remaining in Afghanistan 62 00:02:50,576 --> 00:02:52,880 become increasingly unclear . Even as 63 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:55,810 the terrorist threat that we went to 64 00:02:55,810 --> 00:02:59,500 fight evolved Over the past 20 years , 65 00:02:59,500 --> 00:03:01,556 the threat has become more dispersed 66 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,180 metastasizing around the globe . Al 67 00:03:05,180 --> 00:03:08,470 Shabaab in Somalia , al Qaeda in the 68 00:03:08,470 --> 00:03:11,660 Arabian peninsula , al Nusra in Syria , 69 00:03:12,140 --> 00:03:14,860 ISIS attempting to create a caliph 70 00:03:14,860 --> 00:03:16,840 fight in Syria and Iraq and 71 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,030 establishing affiliates in multiple 72 00:03:19,030 --> 00:03:22,970 countries in Africa and Asia with the 73 00:03:22,970 --> 00:03:24,803 terror threat Now in many places 74 00:03:24,810 --> 00:03:28,450 keeping thousands of troops grounded 75 00:03:28,450 --> 00:03:31,170 and concentrated in just one country at 76 00:03:31,170 --> 00:03:33,600 the cost of billions each year , it 77 00:03:33,610 --> 00:03:35,650 makes little sense to me and to our 78 00:03:35,650 --> 00:03:39,160 leaders . We cannot continue the cycle 79 00:03:39,740 --> 00:03:42,150 of extending or expanding our military 80 00:03:42,150 --> 00:03:44,310 presence in Afghanistan , hoping to 81 00:03:44,310 --> 00:03:46,580 create ideal conditions for the 82 00:03:46,580 --> 00:03:49,060 withdrawal and expecting a different 83 00:03:49,060 --> 00:03:52,730 result . I'm now the 4th United States 84 00:03:52,730 --> 00:03:55,040 President to preside over american 85 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,510 troop presence in Afghanistan . two 86 00:03:57,510 --> 00:04:01,410 Republicans , 2 Democrats . I will not 87 00:04:01,420 --> 00:04:03,960 pass this responsibility onto a 5th 88 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:06,929 after consulting closely with our 89 00:04:06,929 --> 00:04:09,040 allies and partners with our military 90 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,096 leaders and intelligence personnel , 91 00:04:11,096 --> 00:04:13,262 with our diplomats and our development 92 00:04:13,262 --> 00:04:15,429 experts with the Congress and the vice 93 00:04:15,429 --> 00:04:18,120 president as well as with Mr Ghani and 94 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:20,260 many others around the world . I've 95 00:04:20,260 --> 00:04:22,080 concluded that it's time to end 96 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,980 America's longest war . It's time for 97 00:04:24,980 --> 00:04:28,810 american troops to come home . When I 98 00:04:28,810 --> 00:04:31,360 came to office , I inherited a 99 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:34,820 diplomatic agreement duly negotiated 100 00:04:34,830 --> 00:04:36,941 between the government and the United 101 00:04:36,941 --> 00:04:39,440 States and the taliban That all US . 102 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,600 forces would be out of Afghanistan by 103 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,420 May one 2021 Just three 104 00:04:46,420 --> 00:04:49,170 months after my inauguration . That's 105 00:04:49,170 --> 00:04:52,090 what we inherited . That commitment is 106 00:04:52,090 --> 00:04:53,757 perhaps not what I would have 107 00:04:53,757 --> 00:04:56,040 negotiated myself . But it was an 108 00:04:56,040 --> 00:04:58,050 agreement made by the United States 109 00:04:58,050 --> 00:05:00,460 government and that means something . 110 00:05:01,540 --> 00:05:03,651 So in keeping with that agreement and 111 00:05:03,651 --> 00:05:05,873 with our national interest , the United 112 00:05:05,873 --> 00:05:08,151 States will begin our final withdrawal . 113 00:05:08,740 --> 00:05:12,570 begin it on May one of this year will 114 00:05:12,570 --> 00:05:14,750 not conduct a hasty rush to the exit . 115 00:05:15,540 --> 00:05:17,651 We'll do it , we'll do it responsibly 116 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,790 deliberately and safely and we will do 117 00:05:20,790 --> 00:05:23,740 it in full coordination with our allies 118 00:05:23,740 --> 00:05:26,890 and partners who now have more forces 119 00:05:26,890 --> 00:05:29,710 in Afghanistan than we do . And the 120 00:05:29,710 --> 00:05:32,200 taliban should know that if they attack 121 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,950 us as we draw down , we will defend 122 00:05:34,950 --> 00:05:37,172 ourselves and our partners with all the 123 00:05:37,172 --> 00:05:40,790 tools at our disposal . Our allies and 124 00:05:40,790 --> 00:05:42,957 partners have stood beside us shoulder 125 00:05:42,957 --> 00:05:45,068 to shoulder in Afghanistan for almost 126 00:05:45,068 --> 00:05:47,530 20 years and we're deeply grateful for 127 00:05:47,530 --> 00:05:50,040 the contributions they have made to our 128 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,740 shared mission and for the sacrifices 129 00:05:52,740 --> 00:05:56,270 they born . The plan has long 130 00:05:56,270 --> 00:06:00,270 been in together out together U . 131 00:06:00,270 --> 00:06:02,381 S . Troops as well as forces deployed 132 00:06:02,381 --> 00:06:04,900 by our NATO allies and operational 133 00:06:04,900 --> 00:06:07,350 partners Will be out of Afghanistan 134 00:06:07,350 --> 00:06:10,430 before we marked the 20th anniversary 135 00:06:10,490 --> 00:06:12,490 of that heinous attack on September 136 00:06:12,490 --> 00:06:16,430 11th . But but will not take our eye 137 00:06:16,430 --> 00:06:18,890 off the terrorist threat , will 138 00:06:18,890 --> 00:06:20,668 reorganize our counterterrorism 139 00:06:20,668 --> 00:06:24,290 capabilities and the substantial assets 140 00:06:24,290 --> 00:06:26,457 in the region to prevent re emerges of 141 00:06:26,457 --> 00:06:29,270 terrorists threat to our homeland from 142 00:06:29,270 --> 00:06:32,070 over the horizon . Will hold the 143 00:06:32,070 --> 00:06:34,310 Taliban accountable for its commitment 144 00:06:34,310 --> 00:06:36,700 not to allow any terrorists to threaten 145 00:06:36,700 --> 00:06:38,870 the United States or its allies from 146 00:06:38,870 --> 00:06:41,930 Afghan soil . The Afghan government has 147 00:06:41,930 --> 00:06:44,580 made that commitment to us as well and 148 00:06:44,580 --> 00:06:46,950 we'll focus our full attention on the 149 00:06:46,950 --> 00:06:50,360 threat we face today . In my direction , 150 00:06:51,040 --> 00:06:52,873 my team is refining our national 151 00:06:52,873 --> 00:06:55,550 strategy to monitor and disrupt 152 00:06:55,550 --> 00:06:58,080 significant terrorist threats not only 153 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,247 in Afghanistan , but anywhere they may 154 00:07:00,247 --> 00:07:03,240 arise and they're in africa europe , 155 00:07:03,250 --> 00:07:06,370 the Middle East and elsewhere . I spoke 156 00:07:06,370 --> 00:07:08,910 yesterday with President Bush to inform 157 00:07:08,910 --> 00:07:11,380 him of my decision . Well , he and I 158 00:07:11,380 --> 00:07:13,602 have had many disagreements over policy 159 00:07:13,602 --> 00:07:15,824 throughout the years . We're absolutely 160 00:07:15,824 --> 00:07:18,480 united in our respect and support for 161 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,690 the valor courage and integrity of the 162 00:07:21,690 --> 00:07:23,634 women and men in the United States 163 00:07:23,634 --> 00:07:26,230 armed forces who served . I'm immensely 164 00:07:26,230 --> 00:07:28,460 grateful for the bravery and backbone 165 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:31,062 that they have shown through nearly two 166 00:07:31,062 --> 00:07:33,900 decades of combat employments . We as a 167 00:07:33,900 --> 00:07:36,210 nation are forever indebted to them and 168 00:07:36,210 --> 00:07:38,920 of their families . You all know that 169 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:40,864 less than one of Americans servant 170 00:07:40,864 --> 00:07:44,560 armed forces Remaining 99 and we owe 171 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:48,240 them . We owe them . They have never 172 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,407 backed down from a single mission that 173 00:07:50,407 --> 00:07:52,590 we've asked of them . I've witnessed 174 00:07:52,590 --> 00:07:54,479 their bravery firsthand during my 175 00:07:54,479 --> 00:07:57,220 visits to Afghanistan . They have never 176 00:07:57,220 --> 00:08:00,230 wavered in the resolve . They paid a 177 00:08:00,230 --> 00:08:04,030 tremendous price on our behalf . They 178 00:08:04,030 --> 00:08:07,660 have the thanks of a grateful nation . 179 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:10,451 We will not stay involved in 180 00:08:10,451 --> 00:08:13,040 Afghanistan militarily . Our diplomatic 181 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,350 and humanitarian work will continue , 182 00:08:16,140 --> 00:08:18,362 will continue to support the Government 183 00:08:18,362 --> 00:08:20,584 of Afghanistan . We will keep providing 184 00:08:20,584 --> 00:08:22,473 assistance to the Afghan national 185 00:08:22,473 --> 00:08:25,090 defenses and security forces along with 186 00:08:25,090 --> 00:08:27,510 our partners , We have trained and 187 00:08:27,510 --> 00:08:29,580 equipped a standing force of over 188 00:08:29,580 --> 00:08:32,360 300,000 Afghan personnel today 189 00:08:33,430 --> 00:08:35,652 and hundreds of thousands over the past 190 00:08:35,652 --> 00:08:38,300 two decades . And they'll continue to 191 00:08:38,300 --> 00:08:40,133 fight valiantly on behalf of the 192 00:08:40,133 --> 00:08:43,680 Afghans . At great cost . They'll 193 00:08:43,680 --> 00:08:47,000 support peace talks as we will support 194 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:49,111 peace talks between the government of 195 00:08:49,111 --> 00:08:51,222 Afghanistan , The taliban facilitated 196 00:08:51,222 --> 00:08:53,444 by the United Nations and will continue 197 00:08:53,444 --> 00:08:55,556 to support the rights of afghan women 198 00:08:55,556 --> 00:08:57,611 and girls by maintaining significant 199 00:08:57,611 --> 00:08:59,944 humanitarian and development assistance . 200 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:03,151 And we'll ask other countries , other 201 00:09:03,151 --> 00:09:05,262 countries in the region to do more to 202 00:09:05,262 --> 00:09:07,490 support Afghanistan , especially 203 00:09:07,500 --> 00:09:10,650 Pakistan as well as Russia , china , 204 00:09:10,650 --> 00:09:13,680 India and Turkey . They all have a 205 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:15,847 significant stake in the stable future 206 00:09:15,847 --> 00:09:18,030 for Afghanistan over the next few 207 00:09:18,030 --> 00:09:21,390 months will also determine what a 208 00:09:21,390 --> 00:09:23,501 continued U . S . Diplomatic presence 209 00:09:23,501 --> 00:09:25,279 in Afghanistan will look like , 210 00:09:25,279 --> 00:09:27,446 including how will ensure the security 211 00:09:27,446 --> 00:09:30,810 of our diplomats . Look , I know there 212 00:09:30,810 --> 00:09:32,866 are many who will loudly insist that 213 00:09:32,866 --> 00:09:34,810 diplomacy cannot succeed without a 214 00:09:34,810 --> 00:09:36,900 robust U . S . Military presence to 215 00:09:36,900 --> 00:09:39,770 stand as leverage . We gave that 216 00:09:39,770 --> 00:09:42,880 argument a decade , it's never proved 217 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:46,660 effective , Not only had 98,000 218 00:09:46,660 --> 00:09:49,440 troops in Afghanistan and that when we 219 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:52,930 were down to a few 1000 our diplomacy 220 00:09:52,930 --> 00:09:54,990 does not hinge on having boots and 221 00:09:54,990 --> 00:09:57,212 harms way U . S . Boots on the ground . 222 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,496 We have to change that . Thank you . 223 00:10:00,740 --> 00:10:02,907 American troops shouldn't be used as a 224 00:10:02,907 --> 00:10:05,129 bargaining ship between warring parties 225 00:10:05,129 --> 00:10:08,470 in other countries . You know , that's 226 00:10:08,470 --> 00:10:10,637 nothing more than a recipe for keeping 227 00:10:10,637 --> 00:10:12,359 american troops in Afghanistan 228 00:10:12,359 --> 00:10:14,414 indefinitely . I also know there are 229 00:10:14,414 --> 00:10:17,270 many who argue that we should stay stay 230 00:10:17,270 --> 00:10:19,048 fighting in Afghanistan because 231 00:10:19,048 --> 00:10:20,937 withdrawal with damaged America's 232 00:10:20,937 --> 00:10:22,826 credibility . A week in America's 233 00:10:22,826 --> 00:10:24,992 influence in the world , I believe the 234 00:10:24,992 --> 00:10:28,610 exact opposite is true . We went to 235 00:10:28,610 --> 00:10:30,499 Afghanistan because of a horrific 236 00:10:30,499 --> 00:10:32,960 attack that happened 20 years ago . 237 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:36,640 That cannot explain why we should 238 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,160 remain there in 2021 . 239 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:42,470 Rather than return to war with the 240 00:10:42,470 --> 00:10:44,490 taliban . We have to focus on the 241 00:10:44,490 --> 00:10:46,546 challenges that are in front of us . 242 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,380 You have to track and disrupt terrorist 243 00:10:49,380 --> 00:10:52,110 networks and operations that spread far 244 00:10:52,110 --> 00:10:54,920 beyond Afghanistan . Since 9 11 , we 245 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,031 have to shore up american competitors 246 00:10:57,031 --> 00:10:59,031 to meet the stiff competition we're 247 00:10:59,031 --> 00:11:01,142 facing from an increasingly assertive 248 00:11:01,142 --> 00:11:03,031 china . We have to strengthen our 249 00:11:03,031 --> 00:11:05,031 alliances and work with like minded 250 00:11:05,031 --> 00:11:07,087 partners to ensure that the rules of 251 00:11:07,087 --> 00:11:09,198 international norms that govern cyber 252 00:11:09,198 --> 00:11:11,364 threats and emerging technologies that 253 00:11:11,364 --> 00:11:13,680 will shape our future are grounded in 254 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:15,920 our democratic values , values , not 255 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:18,470 those of the autocrats . We have to 256 00:11:18,470 --> 00:11:20,470 defeat this pandemic and strengthen 257 00:11:20,470 --> 00:11:22,692 global health system to prepare for the 258 00:11:22,692 --> 00:11:24,859 next one because there will be another 259 00:11:24,859 --> 00:11:27,950 pandemic , you know , Will be much more 260 00:11:27,950 --> 00:11:30,117 formidable through our adversaries and 261 00:11:30,117 --> 00:11:32,172 competitors over the long term if we 262 00:11:32,172 --> 00:11:34,560 fight the battles for the next 20 years . 263 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,850 Not the last one . And finally , 264 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,970 the main argument for staying longer is 265 00:11:41,970 --> 00:11:44,192 what each of my three predecessors have 266 00:11:44,192 --> 00:11:46,700 grappled with . No one wants to say 267 00:11:46,700 --> 00:11:48,650 that we should be in Afghanistan 268 00:11:48,650 --> 00:11:52,030 forever , but they insist now is not 269 00:11:52,030 --> 00:11:55,560 the right moment to leave . In 2014 , 270 00:11:56,340 --> 00:11:58,650 NATO issued a declaration affirming 271 00:11:58,650 --> 00:12:01,320 that Afghan security forces would from 272 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,487 that point on have full responsibility 273 00:12:03,487 --> 00:12:05,653 for this country's security by the end 274 00:12:05,653 --> 00:12:08,350 of that year . That was seven years ago . 275 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:11,930 So when will it be at the right moment 276 00:12:11,930 --> 00:12:15,220 to leave ? One more year , two more 277 00:12:15,220 --> 00:12:18,900 years , 10 more years , 10 , $20 , $30 278 00:12:18,900 --> 00:12:21,210 billion dollars more a trillion . We've 279 00:12:21,210 --> 00:12:24,860 already spent . Not now . 280 00:12:25,940 --> 00:12:29,450 That's how we got here In this moment . 281 00:12:29,460 --> 00:12:31,571 There is a significant downside risks 282 00:12:31,571 --> 00:12:33,516 of saying beyond May one without a 283 00:12:33,516 --> 00:12:37,190 clear timetable for departure . If we 284 00:12:37,190 --> 00:12:39,560 instead pursue the approach for America 285 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,900 US exit is tied to conditions on the 286 00:12:42,900 --> 00:12:45,270 ground . We have to have clear answers 287 00:12:45,270 --> 00:12:47,690 to the following questions . Just what 288 00:12:47,690 --> 00:12:51,100 conditions require to be required to 289 00:12:51,100 --> 00:12:54,270 allow us to the part , by what 290 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:56,940 means and how long would it take to 291 00:12:56,940 --> 00:12:59,130 achieve them if they could be achieved 292 00:12:59,130 --> 00:13:02,310 at all ? And at what additional cost in 293 00:13:02,310 --> 00:13:05,450 lives and treasure ? I'm not hearing 294 00:13:05,450 --> 00:13:08,300 any good answers to these questions and 295 00:13:08,300 --> 00:13:10,522 if you can't answer them , in my view , 296 00:13:10,840 --> 00:13:14,840 we should not stay . The fact 297 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:18,600 is that later today , I'm gonna visit 298 00:13:18,610 --> 00:13:21,260 Arlington National cemetery section 60 299 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:24,407 And that's sacred memorial to American 300 00:13:24,407 --> 00:13:28,310 sacrifice . Section section 60 is where 301 00:13:28,310 --> 00:13:30,143 our recent war dead are buried , 302 00:13:30,740 --> 00:13:32,962 including many of the women and men who 303 00:13:32,962 --> 00:13:35,450 died fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq . 304 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:39,160 There's no , there's no comforting 305 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,250 distance in history . In section 60 306 00:13:43,140 --> 00:13:45,860 the grief is raw . It's a visceral 307 00:13:45,860 --> 00:13:49,760 reminder of the living cost of war For 308 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:52,130 the past 12 years . Ever since I became 309 00:13:52,130 --> 00:13:55,120 vice president , I've carried with me a 310 00:13:55,130 --> 00:13:57,910 card reminds me of the exact number of 311 00:13:57,910 --> 00:13:59,854 american troops killed in Iraq and 312 00:13:59,854 --> 00:14:03,150 Afghanistan . That exact number Not an 313 00:14:03,150 --> 00:14:05,420 approximation or rounded off number 314 00:14:05,420 --> 00:14:08,950 because every one of those dead 315 00:14:08,970 --> 00:14:12,120 are sacred human beings who left behind 316 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:15,440 entire families . An exact accounting 317 00:14:15,580 --> 00:14:18,760 of every single solitary one needs to 318 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:22,080 be had . As of the day today there are 319 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:23,550 200 320 00:14:23,940 --> 00:14:27,760 And 321 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,470 42488 U . S . troops and personnel who 322 00:14:30,470 --> 00:14:32,692 have died in operation enduring freedom 323 00:14:32,840 --> 00:14:36,300 and operation freedoms sentinel . Our 324 00:14:36,300 --> 00:14:39,850 Afghanistan conflicts , 20,000 325 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:42,460 722 have been wounded . 326 00:14:44,240 --> 00:14:46,351 I'm the first president of 40 years . 327 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,262 Who knows what it means to have a child 328 00:14:49,262 --> 00:14:51,590 serving in a war zone . And throughout 329 00:14:51,590 --> 00:14:54,980 this process my North star has been 330 00:14:54,980 --> 00:14:57,280 remembering what it was like when my 331 00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,336 late son Beau was deployed to Iraq . 332 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:03,718 How proud he was , the service country , 333 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:06,207 how insisted he was to deploy with his 334 00:15:06,207 --> 00:15:10,110 unit and the impact it had on him and 335 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,820 all of us at home . We already have 336 00:15:12,820 --> 00:15:14,820 service members doing their duty in 337 00:15:14,820 --> 00:15:16,830 Afghanistan today , whose parents 338 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:19,690 served in the same war . We have 339 00:15:19,690 --> 00:15:22,430 service members who are not yet born . 340 00:15:22,590 --> 00:15:24,750 When our nation was attacked on 9 11 341 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,830 war in Afghanistan was never meant to 342 00:15:28,830 --> 00:15:31,800 be a multigenerational undertake . We 343 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,330 were attacked , we went to war with 344 00:15:34,330 --> 00:15:36,880 clear goals . We achieve those 345 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:40,120 objectives . Bin laden is dead and al 346 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,300 Qaeda is degraded in Iraq and 347 00:15:42,300 --> 00:15:45,390 Afghanistan and it's time to end the 348 00:15:45,390 --> 00:15:48,840 forevermore . Thank you all for 349 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,020 listening . May God protect our troops . 350 00:15:52,020 --> 00:15:54,640 May God bless all those families who 351 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:56,060 lost someone in this endeavor .