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Tragic defeat in Afghanistan may have been inevitable. History teaches us that the region has not been kind to any force that has exerted control on the region. With that said, severe missteps have been made by the Biden Administration.
First, the Administration assured us that what we are now seeing would not happen. They were warned that this possibility could occur, and now it has. This situation shows a very two-dimensional way of thinking. It illustrates a lack of preparedness for all contingencies. I would think that anyone in charge would want to cover all bases instead of arrogantly ignoring the obvious. Using Trump as a scapegoat on this issue shows a lack of intelligence by those that dreamed it up and those that believe it. Biden is the President, not Trump, and Biden could have opted to change course.
Second, why are we leaving a lot of weapons on the ground? I can't seem to find instances of US troops leaving mass amounts of weapons behind. Shouldn't the troops be ordered to destroy remaining arsenals? This is the land of the AL-Qaeda training camps that birthed the plot of 9/11. Today, we seem content to leave attack helicopters in working condition for the enemy to use at a later date. If your goal is to arm a hostile nation, we seem to be accomplishing that mission. Any and all future attacks on the United States from this region will be blood on the hands of our current Administration.
Lastly, the toll of human lives that likely will not be reported is disheartening. Not only are we kicking dirt in the faces of veterans and their families that have paid the ultimate price, we are throwing Afghan allies to the wolves. The slaughter of civilians will be great because the Administration did not prepare for an exit.
With the leadership we are currently witnessing, it is going to be a long three and a half years.
Jay Owens
Waterford