An Afghan interpreter who helped rescue Joe Biden from a snowstorm 13 years ago when the president was a senator is pleading for help in escaping the Taliban.

Delivering a desperate message to the 78-year-old commander-in-chief via The Wall Street Journal, the man, known only as Mohammed, said: "Hello, Mr. President: Save me and my family. Don't forget me here."

Per CNN, back in 2008, Mohammed helped Biden, then a Delaware senator, and two other senators, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, after they became stranded in a remote Afghan valley.

The trio's helicopter experienced severe difficulties during a snowstorm and had to make an emergency landing.

Mohammed was working as an interpreter for the US Army at the time and worked tirelessly to find the helicopters carrying the lawmakers.

Later, the Afghan interpreter applied for a Special Immigrant Visa so that he could enter the US, however, a number of issues including lost paperwork and his wife and children's ineligibility to board a flight to the US delayed matters.

At the start of this week, the full withdrawal of US forces had been completed - but Mohammed, his wife, and their four children remain in Afghanistan, now under a new Taliban regime.

Mohammed said that he and his family have been in hiding from the militant group since they seized power again after a 20-year hiatus.

"I can't leave my house," he told the paper. "I'm very scared."

The Taliban is infamous for carrying out severe punishments on Afghans who had been known to work with the US government.

On Tuesday, August 31, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki pledged that the government would help Mohammed to leave Afghanistan, insisting in a briefing that the US remains grateful to the interpreter.

"First, our message to him is thank you for fighting by our side for the last 20 years," Psaki said, per CNN.

"Thank you for the role you played in helping a number of my favorite people out of a snowstorm and for all of the work you did."

"We will get you out. We will honor your service," she added.

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President Joe Biden has said he will "mobilize every resource necessary" in order to pull Americans out of Afghanistan.

Speaking from the White House on Friday (August 20), the 78-year-old POTUS declared: "Any American who wants to come home, we will get you home."

However, per CNN, Biden did state that he could not "promise what the final outcome will be", or if the evacuation efforts "will be without risk of loss".

CNN reports that the scene outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport is becoming "increasingly desperate", as hundreds, possibly thousands, of Afghan civilians attempt to flee the country following the Taliban's takeover of the capital city on Sunday.

As reported by CNBC, the Taliban entered the presidential palace and declared the war "over", resulting in President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country.

Biden said on Friday that the US is now attempting to pull off "one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history", with the president adding that Afghans who assisted in war efforts would also be evacuated. The US is also working to place journalists, vulnerable women, and other groups on flights out of the country.

"As an American, I offer my gratitude to the brave men and women of the US armed forces who are carrying out this mission. They're incredible," Biden added.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby also said on Friday that US forces had utilized helicopters to rescue 169 Americans from a hotel near the Hamid Karzai International Airport.

Biden's comments come after he told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos earlier this week that he couldn't see a way of withdrawing US forces from Afghanistan "without chaos ensuing".

And despite facing backlash for his decision to pull out of the country, Biden stood by his decision on Monday, saying: "American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves."

The President then spoke about Afghanistan's political leadership, saying: "We spent over a trillion dollars.  We trained and equipped an Afghan military force of some 300,000 strong — incredibly well equipped — a force larger in size than the militaries of many of our NATO allies.

"We gave them every tool they could need.  We paid their salaries, provided for the maintenance of their air force — something the Taliban doesn’t have.  Taliban does not have an air force.  We provided close air support.

"We gave them every chance to determine their own future.  What we could not provide them was the will to fight for that future."

"I will not repeat the mistakes we've made in the past," he added.

Nevertheless, former POTUS Donald Trump has continued to criticize Biden, stating earlier this week that his successor should "resign in disgrace".

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President Joe Biden has spoken out in more detail about his decision to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of the country.

In an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, the 78-year-old POTUS revealed that he believes there was no way of withdrawing US defense from Afghanistan without "chaos ensuing".

Stephanopoulos asked Biden: "So you don't think this could have been handled - this exit could have been handled better in any way, no mistakes?"

To which the president replied: "No, I don't think it could have been handled in a way that, we're gonna go back in hindsight and look - but the idea that somehow, there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don't know how that happens. I don't know how that happened."

The iconic political commentator then asked Biden if he had always factored that into his decision, to which the POTUS replied: "Yes."

However, clarifying his answer, Biden added: "Now exactly what happened, I've not priced in.

"But I knew that they're going to have an enormous - Look, one of the things we didn't know is what the Taliban would do in terms of trying to keep people from getting out. What they would do.

"What are they doing now? They're cooperating, letting American citizens get out, American personnel get out, embassies get out, et cetera, but they're having - we're having some more difficulty having those who helped us when we were in there."

On Sunday, August 15, the Taliban entered the presidential palace in Kabul and declared the war "over".

The toppling led to thousands of civilians rushing to Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport - crowding runways and holding on to planes in an apparent attempt to flee the country. Additionally, 11,000 Americans in Afghanistan at the time, GMA reports.

On Monday, Biden spoke from the East Room of The White House, telling the US people: "Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to be nation-building."

"I stand squarely behind my decision," Biden added.

And after admitting the withdrawal had become "messy", he stated: "After 20 years, I learned the hard way that there was never a good way to withdraw our forces."

The President then spoke about Afghanistan's political leadership, saying:

"American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.  We spent over a trillion dollars.  We trained and equipped an Afghan military force of some 300,000 strong — incredibly well equipped — a force larger in size than the militaries of many of our NATO allies. 

"We gave them every tool they could need.  We paid their salaries, provided for the maintenance of their air force — something the Taliban doesn’t have.  Taliban does not have an air force.  We provided close air support. 

"We gave them every chance to determine their own future.  What we could not provide them was the will to fight for that future."

"I will not repeat the mistakes we've made in the past," he added.

On August 18, Reuters reported that Biden's approval rating dropped by 7 percentage points - his lowest so far.

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Donald Trump has demanded that US President Joe Biden resigns over the Taliban invasion of Afghanistan.

According to The Independent, the former President of the United States lambasted his successor in a scathing official statement issued on Sunday.

This comes after Taliban insurgents managed to secure the capital city of Kabul, forcing President Ashraf Ghani and numerous other terrified citizens to flee the country.

In a release shared to Twitter by his spokesperson, Liz Harrington, Trump stated:

"It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan, along with the tremendous surge in COVID, the Border catastrophe, the destruction of energy independence, and our crippled economy."

Trump then rehashed his unverified contention that Biden was guilty of voter fraud in the 2020 US Presidential election, stating: "It shouldn’t be a big deal, because [Biden] wasn't elected legitimately in the first place."

The New York Post reports that Biden was previously slammed by Trump when he announced plans to fully withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

In a statement made back in April, Trump wrote: "I wish Biden wouldn't use September the 11th for the date to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan."

Opining that the American military should have left earlier, Trump continued: "September 11th represents a very sad event and period for our Country and should remain a day of reflection and remembrance honoring the great souls we lost."

He added: "Getting out of Afghanistan is a wonderful and positive thing to do. I planned to withdraw on May 1st, and we should keep as close to that date as possible."

Trump's administration originally made the decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan last year after a deal was brokered in exchange for security guarantees.

The Independent reports that Biden has since responded to Trump's criticisms, stating:

"When I became President, I faced a choice: follow through on the deal, with a brief extension to get our Forces and our allies’ Forces out safely, or ramp up our presence and send more American troops to fight once again in another country's civil conflict."

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President Joe Biden has defended his decision to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan.

In an address on Monday, the 78-year-old POTUS asked: "How many more American lives is it worth?"

On Sunday, Taliban soldiers took control of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul, forcing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country, along with many high-ranking officials. As reported by CNBC, the Taliban entered the presidential palace and declared the war "over".

As reported by Insider, Biden started his address by highlighting the US' original intentions in Afghanistan, which included the capture of Osama bin Laden.

Speaking from the East Room of The White House, he said: "Our mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to be nation-building."

"I stand squarely behind my decision," Biden added.

And after admitting the withdrawal had become "messy", he stated: "After 20 years, I learned the hard way that there was never a good way to withdraw our forces."

The President then spoke about Afghanistan's political leadership, saying:

"American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves.  We spent over a trillion dollars.  We trained and equipped an Afghan military force of some 300,000 strong — incredibly well equipped — a force larger in size than the militaries of many of our NATO allies. 

"We gave them every tool they could need.  We paid their salaries, provided for the maintenance of their air force — something the Taliban doesn’t have.  Taliban does not have an air force.  We provided close air support. 

"We gave them every chance to determine their own future.  What we could not provide them was the will to fight for that future."

"I will not repeat the mistakes we've made in the past," he added.

"If anything, the developments of the past week reinforce that ending US military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision," Biden said.

Biden also declared: "We have made it clear to the Taliban: if they attack our personnel, or disrupt our operation, the US presence will be swift and the response will be swift and forceful.

"We will defend our people with devastating force if necessary."

Biden's address came on the same day that footage from Kabul's international airport showed civilians crowding runways and holding on to planes in an apparent attempt to flee the country.

Admitting that the scenes in the media from the country were "gut-wrenching", President Biden then assured the US people that American diplomatic presence in the country was now "consolidated at the airport" and that evacuations will continue.

Biden also spoke about how continued occupation of Afghanistan is "not what the American people want", adding:

"This is not in our national security interest. It is not what the American people want. It is not what our troops, who would have sacrificed over the last two decades, deserve."

"I know my decision will be criticized. But I would rather take all that criticism than pass this decision on to another president of the United States," he added.

Biden's address came after former president Donald Trump called for his successor to "resign in disgrace".

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Former Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill has given his two cents on President Joe Biden's handling of US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The 45-year-old - who famously shot and killed Osama bin Laden, hit out at the POTUS, calling him a "disaster".

This week Taliban fighters entered Afghanistan's capital Kabul, taking over the presidential palace. The Taliban seized power following the withdrawal of American troops.

Despite international militaries committing thousands of soldiers, trillions of dollars, and 20 years to ousting Taliban and training local forces, O'Neill is now one of the many people who believe it was all in vain.

Taking to Twitter, the former Navy SEAL Biden a "disaster," adding: "This is the worst loss in American history. Our most popular president has vanished. Prove me wrong."

In another tweet, he wrote: "Joe Biden opposed the raid to kill bin Laden. At least he lost Afghanistan in 7 months."

The former soldier also slammed US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley and called on him to resign.

Osama bin Laden was one of the main reasons for America to launch its decades-long war following the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

Biden has faced heavy criticism for his decision to pull troops out of the region before the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

The US President has since defended his decision, explaining that it wouldn't have changed a thing if they stayed in Afghanistan for another 20 years.

"I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference," he said.

"I do not regret my decision to end America's warfighting in Afghanistan.

"There are some very brave and capable Afghan special forces units and soldiers, but if Afghanistan is unable to mount any real resistance to the Taliban now, there is no chance that one year, one more year, five more years or 20 more years of U.S. military boots on the ground would have made any difference."

Elsewhere, former POTUS Donald Trump said the situation in Afghanistan would be "totally different" if his administration was still in office.

Trump stated that his administration would've managed the situation better, per Insider.

Breaking his silence on the chaos, Trump wrote: "First Joe Biden surrendered to COVID, and it has come roaring back. Then he surrendered to the Taliban, who has quickly overtaken Afghanistan and destroyed confidence in American power and influence.

"The outcome in Afghanistan, including the withdrawal, would have been totally different if the Trump Administration had been in charge. Who or what will Joe Biden surrender to next? Someone should ask him, if they can find him."

What's more, Trump called Afghanistan the "most embarrassing military outcome in the history of the United States." He then called the way the US left the country "grossly incompetent."

In a separate statement, Trump wrote: "What Joe Biden has done with Afghanistan is legendary. It will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history!"

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