Biden sticks with Aug. 31 Afghanistan withdrawal deadline

President Joe Biden will not extend his self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline to withdraw troops from Afghanistan after the Taliban seized the capital of Kabul faster than expected.

Biden has accepted the Pentagon's recommendation to stick with this month's deadline but has asked for contingency plans if the Taliban's intransigence made it necessary, according to multiple reports.

The announcement that there would be no extension also comes after CIA Director William Burns met with top Taliban leaders in Kabul, though the agency has not released any details of what was discussed. The Taliban oppose any extension.

Biden faced competing pressures after footage of the chaos at and around Kabul's airport last week was played around the world. Taliban-managed checkpoints to the airfield, the main entry to and exit from Afghanistan, were intermittently closed this week, contributing to the sense of panic.