Biden: Afghanistan evacuations would always have been ‘hard and painful’

President defends US exit but makes changes to airlift effort at Kabul airport after criticism over deaths and chaotic scenes

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The evacuation of thousands of Americans and their Afghan allies from Kabul would have been hard and painful no matter when it started or when we began", Joe Biden insisted on Sunday, amid fierce criticism of his administration's handling of the US withdrawal.

Related: Pentagon orders commercial airlines to help in Afghanistan evacuations