Biden's top diplomat noted that the Trump-negotiated deal paved the way for the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners, including many of the militant Islamic group's top fighters who quickly returned to the battlefield.
"After 20 years, 2,641 American lives lost, 20,000 injuries, and $2 trillion dollars spent, it was time to end America’s longest war," Blinken said in his opening remarks.
Blinken said about 100 American citizens remain in Afghanistan and want to leave. He said the State Department has assigned case workers to each U.S. citizen and is committed to evacuating those Americans who want to leave.
"People are making decisions hour-by-hour, if not day-by-day, about whether to leave or not," he said. The State Department offered 60 seats to Americans on two flights that left the country last week, but only 30 U.S. citizens were prepared to leave at that time.
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