(MENAFN) In a recent interview with MSNBC, President Joe Biden unintentionally made a historical mix-up, stating that the United States had made a mistake by going into Ukraine. The president meant to criticize Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for ignoring civilian casualties during the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) military operation in Gaza.
Biden, recalling his visit to Israel early in the conflict, warned Netanyahu against repeating the same "mistake" that the United States made after 9/11. However, he inadvertently stated, “America made a mistake. We went after Osama bin Laden until we got him, but we shouldn’t have gone into Ukraine.” The president quickly corrected himself, clarifying that he meant Iraq and Afghanistan, where the United States conducted military interventions.
The gaffe occurred in the context of discussing the Israeli military operation in Gaza, where, according to the latest data from the Gaza health ministry, 31,045 people have been killed, and 72,654 others wounded since October 7. The IDF initiated these attacks in response to a Hamas incursion into Israel, resulting in an estimated 1,200 deaths and over 200 people taken hostage.
President Biden acknowledged that the United States military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan caused more problems than they solved. The mix-up prompted various reactions, including a sarcastic comment from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, suggesting that Moscow disagreed with media reports framing Biden's statement as confusion between Ukraine and Iraq/Afghanistan.
MENAFN11032024000045015687ID1107960538
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.