Live Afghanistan updates: Biden defends U.S. departure: ‘It was time to end this war’

“The United States ended 20 years of war in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history,” Biden said during an address at the White House, praising the efforts to get more than 120,000 Americans and allies evacuated to safety. “And still, the women and men of the United States military, our diplomatic corps and intelligence professionals did their job and did it well, risking their lives not for professional gains but to serve others — not in a mission of war, but a mission of mercy.”