Biden hasn't ruled out sending more troops to Kabul, national security adviser says
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday that President Biden hasn't ruled sending more troops to the airport in Kabul, but "at the moment, we believe we have sufficient forces on the ground.”
The big picture: The president's senior national security team made the rounds on the Sunday political talk shows to explain — and defend — the Biden administration's handling of the ongoing turbulence in Afghanistan.
"At the moment, we believe we have sufficient forces on the ground, but every single day the president asks his military commanders ... whether they need additional resources, additional troops. So far, the answer has been 'no,' but he will ask again today," Sullivan said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
When asked whether he would advise the president to extend the deadline if American and Afghan allies aren't safely out of the country by Aug. 31, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said: "As we approach that deadline, we'll make a recommendation to the president."
"In terms of what we'll be able to accomplish going forward, we can't place a specific figure on exactly what we'll be able to do. But I'll just tell you that we're going to try to exceed expectations and do as much as we can," Austin told host Martha Raddatz on ABC's "This Week."
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