The separate telephone conversations between Biden and former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, as he prepared to make the announcement, highlight the long life of the conflict, which spanned four presidential administrations and nearly 20 years.
“He appreciates their opinions and wanted both to hear directly from him about his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday about Biden’s calls with Obama and Bush.
While Bush – who announced the start of the war on October 7, 2001 – declined to respond to his call with Biden, his spokeswoman Freddy Ford told CNN that former president and first lady Laura Bush “is still committed to our veterans after 9/11 and empowering women in Afghanistan through their work at the Bush Institute. ‘
In a nod to Bush’s role in the outbreak of the nearly 20-year war, Biden delivers his remarks on the withdrawal plan in exactly the same place in the White House treaty that the 43rd president announced the start of the war on October 7, 2001. .
According to two officials familiar with the call, talks between the country’s 43rd and 46th presidents were brief. They also described it as warm and hearty.
“President Biden has made the right decision to complete the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan,” Obama said in a statement moments after Biden made his first public remarks on the decision.
Although he did not refer to his call with Biden in the statement, Obama said: “I support President Biden’s courageous leadership in building our country at home and restoring our position around the world.”
The support has a symbolic weight, as Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president at the time, vehemently argued to Obama that the troops should advance in 2009.
At one point that year, he wrote a memorandum to Obama arguing for a withdrawal and faxed it to the White House of his Thanksgiving vacation in Nantucket. He has made several attempts to argue his case against Obama.
Biden said Wednesday that the withdrawal will begin on May 1, in line with an agreement reached between President Donald Trump’s government and the Taliban. He said the full withdrawal would take place by September 11th. Some U.S. troops will continue to protect U.S. diplomats, although officials do not want to provide an exact number.
After the president was formally announced, the president visited the section of Arlington National Cemetery where many of the American war dead from Afghanistan are buried, where he salutes a wreath placed there.
This story was updated on Wednesday with additional details.
CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.