Headline RoundupJuly 2nd, 2021

Last US Troops Depart Hub of Afghanistan Operations

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The last U.S. troops will leave Bagram Airfield near Kabul, Afghanistan in the coming days, ending operations at what served as the U.S. military's hub in the country for roughly two decades. The move will leave fewer than 1,000 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan reportedly met Afghani President Ashraf Ghani Friday to discuss "continued assistance and co-operation." Meanwhile, reports across the spectrum suggest that Taliban militants are gaining strength throughout the country

The news made headlines across the spectrum Friday; many news sources on all sides republished the same in-depth report from the Associated Press. Both left- and right-rated outlets framed the U.S. departure in the context of rising Taliban advances across Afghanistan and concerns about the Afghan government's ability to defend itself. Other reports, particularly from the right, highlighted President Joe Biden's exchange with reporters who inquired about the news on Friday, in which he criticized their questioning as "negative."

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