Biden speech on Afghanistan comes back to haunt him just weeks later

Joe Biden has been criticised for a contradictory speech he made five weeks ago, suggesting people would not be airlifted from the embassy roof in Kabul.

On 8 July, the US President said he saw no parallels between the withdrawal from Afghanistan and that of the Vietnam War, which saw the iconic images of many fleeing from the American embassy roof in Saigon.

But as Taliban fighters poured into the Afghan capital over the weekend, US diplomats were airlifted from Kabul in scenes echoing those of Saigon nearly 50 years ago.

President Biden’s speech has since resurfaced on social media.