The United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan Monday, a top military official announced, ending America’s longest war but also leaving behind some Americans and thousands of Afghan partners.
The final evacuation flight took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport at 11:59 P.M. local time, CENTCOM Commander Gen. Frank McKenzie said, with both U.S. military and ambassador to Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, on board.
“I'm here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan and the end of the military mission to evacuate American citizens, third country nationals and vulnerable Afghans,” Gen. McKenzie announced Monday afternoon.
“This withdrawal signifies both the end of the military component of the evacuation but also the end of the nearly 20 year mission that began in Afghanistan shortly after September 11, 2001,” he added.
The United States' longest war, which began in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, lasted two decades and claimed more than 2,400 American lives.
President Joe Biden released a statement shortly after the news, commending the U.S. military for exiting "as scheduled" and with no additional loss of American lives.
The president announced that he would address the nation Tuesday on the decision to leave by Aug. 31.
"For now, I will report that it was the unanimous recommendation of the Joint Chiefs and of all of our commanders on the ground to end our airlift mission as planned," Biden said in the statement. "Their view was that ending our military mission was the best way to protect the lives of our troops, and secure the prospects of civilian departures for those who want to leave Afghanistan in the weeks and months ahead."
Since late July, the United States and its partners have evacuated more than 123,000 people out of Kabul’s airport, including 6,000 American citizens, embassy staff and vulnerable Afghans.
Every U.S. service member had also left Afghanistan as of Monday afternoon, General McKenzie confirmed.
Yet the general also confirmed that there were a few hundred Americans left in Afghanistan who wanted to leave but were not able to make it on to an evacuation flight. The last Americans left 12 hours before the evacuation ended, McKenzie said.
"None of them made it to the airport and were able to be accommodated," he said.
President Biden had made repeated promises to American citizens in the country that they would be evacuated.
In addition, there are still thousands of Afghan partners stuck inside Afghanistan, including interpreters, contractors and others who served the United States during the war. Most are eligible for U.S. protection through a special visa program or priority refugee status.
“There’s a lot of heartbreak associated with this departure. We did not get everybody out that we wanted to get out,” General McKenzie acknowledged. “But I think if we'd stayed another 10 days, we wouldn't have gotten everybody out.”
U.S. officials have said they are working to guarantee that the few remaining Americans as well as Afghan allies can leave after Monday, which includes an international agreement between dozens of countries and the Taliban to allow safe passage to the airport.
“The military phase of this operation has ended. The diplomatic sequel to that will now begin,” General McKenzie said.
Earlier Monday, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution that calls on the Taliban to keep their commitment to let Americans, third country nationals and Afghans leave.