Biden news: President faces ABC news TV interview over Afghanistan

President Joe Biden is set to face his first media interview over the situation in Afghanistan this evening. The president will be interviewed by ABC lead anchor and former White House communications director, George Stephanopoulos.

The first clips have been released and Mr Biden stands firm in his decision to withdraw troops, bristling when pressed on the Kabul airport chaos seen on Monday.

And he insisted that US troops would remain in the country until all Americans there have been evacuated, even if that runs past the 31 August deadline.

At a Pentagon press briefing this afternoon, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley responded to news reports that there were warnings of a rapid collapse of the Afghan army by saying there was no indication from intelligence that Afghanistan’s army would deteriorate in 11 days.

A six-day work trip around the Middle East by the CIA director has also raised questions as to whether the intelligence agency was blindsided by the sudden fall of Kabul.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was pressed as to whether the military could collect people and bring them to Kabul airport, Mr Austin replied that they do not have the capabilities to extend operations in the city and convey large numbers of people to evacuation flights.

Biden administration officials will begin to answer questions before Congress as early as next week as to why such chaos erupted on the ground and why the US appeared caught off-guard by the Taliban’s sudden advance.