The mirage of Afghanistan as an enduring, stable democracy evaporated. America spent 20 years, almost a trillion dollars, and thousands of U.S. casualties – all for this outcome? After days of White House silence while the calamity unfolded, it became clear that Biden had no choice but to take a break from his vacation at Camp David and speak to the American people. In terms of admitting the magnitude of the blunder, Biden mostly pointed the finger at others – especially former-President Donald Trump and the Afghan army. Biden’s biggest admission during the speech was that the pace of the total collapse “did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.” For the leader of the most powerful military in the world to look clueless about realities on the ground in Afghanistan was a stunning moment. While Biden cannot realistically defend the
tactical catastrophe of the withdrawal itself, he still stands behind the overall decision to withdraw and the timeline on which he is doing it. In his most recent speech addressing policy in Afghanistan, Biden said: 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, yet another one, a fifth one. Because it’s the right one, it’s the right decision for our people. The right one for our brave service members who risked their lives serving our nation. And it’s the right one for America. AN INHUMANE CRISIS As America heads for the exits, what will the international community do about the enormous humanitarian crisis that will accompany Taliban control? What will bureaucrats in Brussels do about the enslavement of women and the violent
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American Consequences
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