Good afternoon. On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against al-Qaeda

terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

October 7, 2001. President George W. Bush addressed the nation, explaining that the U.S. was preparing

for what he called sustained comprehensive and relentless operations in Afghanistan.

The name of the initial military operation was enduring freedom.

I'm speaking to you today from the Treaty Room of the White House, a place where American

presidents have worked for peace. We're a peaceful nation. Yet as we have learned so suddenly and so

tragically, there can be no peace in a world of sudden terror. Bush was referring, of course,

to the attacks of September 11, which by then had been connected to Osama bin Laden,

who was said to be based in Afghanistan. The 43rd president reached for an anecdote to explain

what he was asking of America's military families. I recently received a touching letter that says

a lot about the state of America in these difficult times. A letter from a fourth grade girl

with a father in the military. As much as I don't want my dad to fight, she wrote, I'm willing to

give him to you. The fourth grader who wrote that letter would be around 30 years old by now. As

U.S. troops in Afghanistan will finally end operations there. I was speaking to you today from the

Roosevelt Treaty Room in the White House. Twenty years later, from the same room in the White House,

President Joe Biden announced he would follow through. On a plan, said in motion by former President

Trump to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan. Biden's deadline for withdrawal, September 11th.

We went to Afghanistan because of a horrific attack that happened 20 years ago.

That cannot explain why we should remain there in 2021.

Consider this, America's longest war is coming to a close. What's left is a question. One

historians will probably debate for a long time. Was it worth it?

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