The collapse of the Afghanistan government and the ensuing chaos in Kabul is one of the stories dominating the news cycle. There is no shortage of finger-pointing and political rhetoric, most of it aimed at President Biden. I don’t think anyone would disagree with the assessment that the rapidity with which the Taliban overran the country was a huge intelligence failure. However, I think it just shows the fragility of the military and government that the US has propped up for the last 20 years. And, if it was that fragile, it is apparent to me that we could have stayed there for another 20 years and the outcome would have been exactly the same.
Whether or not you agree with the decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan, one of the major takeaways for me was Biden’s willingness to step up and take full responsibility for the decision. As you recall, Trump never took responsibility for anything – unless it was good, and then, it really didn’t matter whether or not he had anything to do with the actual decision. Trump was the original ‘blamer-in-chief’. Biden, by contrast, accepts responsibility for his decisions. I, for one, would much prefer a leader who accepts responsibility than one who just lies and finds others to blame.
For a while, the Republican National Committee had a blurb on their website about how Trump had successfully negotiated directly with the Taliban (without the participation of the Afghan government, I might add) to end America’s involvement in the country. Interestingly, any reference to Trump’s involvement with Afghanistan and his negotiations with the Taliban resulting in the agreement to withdraw US troops have been completely erased from the RNC website! This is just another example of the revisionist history that is becoming the hallmark of the Republicans.
The Republicans and Trump will likely also forget that Trump insisted on negotiating with Kim-Jong Un of North Korea who is perhaps the most brutal dictator on the planet. North Korea is every bit as repressive and brutal as the previous incarnations of the Taliban. That whole effort was clearly a colossal failure as virtually nothing has changed.
I am hopeful that Biden’s decision, in the long run, will prove to be the right one. If, after 20 years of US military support and spending $1 trillion, the Afghan military and government is not yet capable of defending itself and fighting for their country, it was never going to happen. The ending in this conflict was a foregone conclusion and anyone thinking anything different is simply deluding themselves and forgetting history.
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and were at war with the Muslim guerillas until 1989. It only took them 10 years to figure out they were never going to win this war. It took us 20 years. We were in Vietnam for 20 years – 1955 to 1975. And despite all of the ominous warning about what would happen when the US pulled out of Vietnam, it now has a vibrant economy and a growing expat community of US citizens who have retired there.
I don’t think any of us agree with the oppressive and brutal nature of the Taliban view of the law under their strict Islamic view of the Koran. However, we are perfectly willing to do business with Saudi Arabia where women were only recently allowed to drive. Saudi is an extremely oppressive government, particularly for women. No doubt if Afghanistan were rich in oil, we’d figure out a way to work with the Taliban. In fact, the Chinese are doing exactly that because Afghanistan is a source of rare metals. This is nothing short of hypocrisy on the part of the United States.
If a Taliban-controlled Afghanistan once again becomes a haven for terrorists who target the US, we will have to take action. However, at some point, we are going to have to let the Afghan people determine the fate of their own country. And the fact is, it may be more effective in the long run to use aid dollars and/or economic sanctions than tanks and planes. The Soviets tried tanks and planes and failed. We have tried tanks and planes and failed. Perhaps its time to try another approach.
I think it will be a rocky road in Afghanistan for a while just like it was a rocky road in Vietnam after Vietnam unified following the US pullout. That said, I think it will prove to be the correct decision in the long run and, like I said, at a minimum, I am thankful to have a president who is willing to make hard decisions and take full responsibility for those decisions. That, in and of itself, is a welcome change.
Well said. Biden is the best president for this time.