In a much anticipated live address on the lightening fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, U.S. President, Joe Biden, rejected broad criticism of the chaotic evacuation scenes at Kabul airport.

Biden used the speech to blame the Taliban's takeover on Afghan political leaders and the Afghan army. 

In what has been billed as a humiliating defeat for the U.S., Biden also blamed his predecessor, former President Donald Trump, for allegedly empowering the Taliban and leaving them "in the strongest position militarily since 2001." 

He also said “Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to be nation building, it was never meant to be creating a unified, central democracy.” Biden did however acknowledge that Washington had made many mistakes in its 20 year occupation of the country.  

The Democrat has faced a barrage of criticism, from even his own diplomats, over his handling of the U.S. exit, pulling out troops and then sending back thousands to help with the evacuation.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, described the recent events "an extremely bitter development” saying said the U.S.-led mission had not been as successful as had been hoped. She added the lives of German troops appear to have gone in vain. 

Armin Laschet, the Chancellor candidate of the Christian Democrat (CDU) party who will most likely succeed Merkel, said Afghanistan was NATO's biggest fiasco since the Northern Alliance was formed.

Critics say the U.S. exit is not a withdrawal but rather, the Americans are fleeing Afghanistan in a similar fashion to Vietnam, following the swift Taliban takeover of the country.