A somber President Joe Biden delivered his first remarks since Thursday's terrorist attack in Kabul, giving an emotional speech about the dozen U.S. service members who were killed and directing a pointed message to the terrorist group responsible for the attacks: "America will not be intimidated."
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The pair of explosions at Hamid Karzai International Airport that killed 11 Marines and one Navy medic and wounded 15 Americans roiled an already challenging and dangerous evacuation from the country as the U.S. faces an Aug. 31 deadline to leave. The number of Afghan civilians who were killed and injured remained unknown as of early Thursday evening.
Biden first addressed the families of the victims, noting the wrenching pain of losing his own son, Beau Biden, who served in the military and later died from an aggressive brain cancer in 2015. The president reaffirmed the country's commitment to evacuating all Americans and Afghan allies who want to leave the region – even after next week's self-imposed timetable.
"My heart aches for you but I know this: we have a continued obligation, the most sacred obligation to all of you, the families of those heroes," Biden said from the White House East Room. "We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will continue the evacuation."
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