President Biden has lost the confidence of the military, our allies and the American people. In April, the president promised that troops would return from Afghanistan “responsibly, deliberately and safely,” minimizing any risk associated with the withdrawal.
Today, he says, “the evacuation of thousands of people from Kabul would be hard and painful, no matter when it started, when we started.”
Following an attack on Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. military personnel, at least 90 Afghans, Biden has done nothing but divert responsibility for the biggest foreign policy mistake in decades.
Although the president told Americans that Kabul is unlikely to fall in July, intelligence reports informed him that the situation was precarious. As reported by the New York Times, U.S. intelligence was skeptical that Afghan security forces would resist the Taliban attack or that the U.S. Allied government could cling to Kabul.
None of this prevented Biden from leaving Bagram Air Force Base and refusing to establish safe military zones and retake stranded Afghan or American allies, of whom there are probably a thousand left. His disastrous decisions created the bottleneck at Kabul airport that placed our troops in a precarious position and left hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Americans and green cardholders stranded.
How can troops trust Biden now?
During his press conference following the Kabul airport attack, Biden tried to create the impression that critics of his failed withdrawal were questioning the competition and bravery of American soldiers rather than the leaders who went to them. to fail. When Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller posted a video demanding accountability to our military leaders for unnecessarily endangering his comrades, he was relieved of his duties. However, as of this writing, not a single leader who oversaw the debacle in Afghanistan has resigned or taken responsibility. In fact, the administration continues to demand that the withdrawal be a success.
Again, how could military leaders trust Biden?
When interviewed by ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, the president said “no one” had advised him to keep troops in Afghanistan to enforce the existing peace deal or cover the evacuation of the north. -Americans and our allies. However, numerous anonymous defense administration officials told the Wall Street Journal that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had warned Biden that the total withdrawal from Afghanistan would not provide stability and that General Mark Milley, chairman of the chief of staff of the boards, advised Biden to keep 2,500 soldiers to cover the retreat. Biden not only ignored his advice, but threw them under the bus lying that they agreed with him.
And how can our allies trust Biden?
Even Britain, the nation that suffered the second casualty among our Western allies in Afghanistan, remained in the dark about the plans. The New York Times reports that British officials “embarrassed and embittered” President Biden.
Still, for some inexplicable reason, Biden seems to trust the Taliban, seeking their cooperation and allowing the group to dictate terms and deadlines for withdrawal and security. When asked in July if he trusted the Taliban, Biden replied in disbelief, “Is that a serious question?” When the reporter reiterated that this was the case, the president stated, “No, I don’t.”
Today the Biden administration shares anti-terrorist intelligence with the Islamic militia, a group that carried out bombings a few weeks ago. In fact, Politico reports that U.S. officials handed the Taliban a list of “U.S. citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies” to be granted entry to the U.S.-controlled airport in Kabul. Biden did so even as the Taliban seized Afghan American passports outside Kabul airport and appeared to be moving away from the Americans.
“Basically, they just put all these Afghans on a death list,” an anonymous defense official told Politico. “It’s scary and shocking and it makes you feel impure.”
“Let it be clear,” Biden told the country this week, “The evacuation of thousands of people from Kabul was hard and painful, no matter when it started, when we started.”
That has not been said to the American people in the past. And the incompetence of his administration has made it so painful. Biden’s popular performance of “live talks” has always been a cynical performative policy. Now, it’s part of a deadly lie.