New Date For Afghanistan Withdrawal
- On October 22, 2011, Obama set a date of December 31, 2011.
- Trump set a date for May 1, 2021, cleverly leaving things up to the next president.
- But also note that on October 7, 2020 Trump Said US Will Be Out of Afghanistan by Christmas
- Now Biden says September 11, 2021.
President Biden proposes U.S. Troops to Leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the Bin Laden plane attack that took down the World Trade towers.
Mr. Biden is expected to announce the decision formally on Wednesday, marking the second time in less than two years that an American president has set a date to end the nation’s involvement in the Afghan conflict—the longest war in U.S. history. Last year, then-President Donald Trump reached a deal with the insurgent Taliban movement under which U.S. troops would depart by May 1.
The Afghan government set up with U.S. support maintains a precarious hold on the country, and groups including Islamic State have since established footholds there, attacking U.S.-trained forces, government officials and civilians.
Will Anyone Honor a Ceasefire Agreement?
This morning I asked Why Insist On An Afghan Cease-Fire Agreement No One Will Honor Anyway?
The Biden administration has indicated repeatedly that removing coalition troops by the May 1 deadline would be difficult, given continued high levels of violence.
Is Violence Supposed to Stop?
Now I ask essentially the same question:
Is violence magically supposed to stop by September 11?
No Military Solution
The president sees ‘no military solution’ for the problems in Afghanistan, a Biden administration official said. https://t.co/Rky6wFTPUq
— USA TODAY Politics (@usatodayDC) April 13, 2021
There was no military solution last year, the year before, any time under Obama or Bush.
End the Invasion
Having served on active duty, it’s clear to me the US has the best military in the world. But our military is not designed to prop up foreign governments or change the hearts and minds of a foreign population. Pleased that @POTUS is withdrawing our military from Afghanistan. https://t.co/KR0CynmeA0
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 13, 2021
History Lesson
So, essentially, we made the rubble bounce for two decades and ended up right where the Russians, the British, the Persians, the Mongols, and Alexander the Great ended up. https://t.co/KYXECow9Xe
— Charles P. Pierce (@CharlesPPierce) April 13, 2021
Insanity From Inhofe
Senator James Inhofe (R., Okla.), who had also opposed Mr. Trump’s May 1 deadline, said Mr. Biden’s decision was reckless and based on a “political and not conditions-based” timeline.
Insanity From Bill Kristol
It’s been a difficult and frustrating war—but preventing terror attacks from Afghanistan and preventing a Taliban takeover, have, I think, been worth it. It continues to be worth it. Why withdraw and risk Kabul falling, and all that might follow from that? https://t.co/JZ3q8vyA93
— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 13, 2021
It’s been a difficult and frustrating war—but preventing terror attacks from Afghanistan and preventing a Taliban takeover, have, I think, been worth it. It continues to be worth it. Why withdraw and risk Kabul falling, and all that might follow from that?
War mongers who cannot think are why we have been in Afghanistan for 20 years.
None of the 9/11 hijackers were from Afghanistan, they were Saudi Arabia nationals.
Move the Troops to Germany?
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announces an increase to the US military’s presence in Germany https://t.co/5UkcB7JJVz
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 13, 2021
What for? Bring them all home.
If Germany needs protection let me suggest German citizens.
Politics of the Move
Senator James Inhofe blasted the move as did Bill Kristol. Expect more war mongers to follow.
Trump will surely accuse Biden of playing politics by not honoring his May 1 date.
Perhaps Biden did indeed delay the May 1 date for political purposes. But Trump did not honor his political pledge to get the troops out before Christmas in 2020.
Hooray!
I am tired of all this war mongering insanity. Get the troops out.
Moreover, no matter what happens, don’t put the US Troops back for any reason.
Finally, don’t put US troops where they do not belong on nearly endless missions in the first place.
If Kabul falls, I don’t give a damn just as I did not give a damn when Saigon fell to the Viet Cong two years after we left Vietnam.
By “not give a damn” I mean I would not risk one US soldier defending any place where US troops do not belong in the first place.
The US cannot afford to be the world’s policeman nor should we try even if we could afford it.
Question of the Day
Will Biden Bring Home All the Troops by Sep 11, 2021?
— Mike “Mish” Shedlock (@MishGEA) April 14, 2021
Will Biden succeed?
Mish
I looke back on previous Biden comments on Afghanistan. Turns out he’s been very consistent on not wanting to be there or supporting troop reductions. The intereting thing aout this story are reports that this decision was done with LLoyd Austin but Tony Blinken. This was immediately pushed back on but its giving an interesting glimpse into the new dynamics of Biden’s administration.
Anyone thinking Biden is simply following Trump’s polcies isn’t paying attention.
He will bring all troops home but that doesn’t mean the base will be unmanned.
Taliban Promises ‘Nightmare’ for U.S. Troops in Final Afghanistan Stretch
And yet Israel is continuing to attack Iran in hopes of drawing us into that conflict. The administration should tell them it is illegal to attach other nations without just provocation.
The politics of fear abound. Get the hell out and deal with the consequences. If genocide surfaces, target the perpetrators with all that we have and get then get hell out.
The US used to be all about using the military to stop the worldwide spread of communism. Now that we’re turning into the Soviet Union with the AOC/Sanders types (who are just as much a threat as the Chinese), I don’t see the point in having military all over the world. On the bright side, maybe we can start importing Cuban cigars again.
Nobody with any power listens to AOC or Bernie.
About time. I remember Trump tried to do this but was blocked by the Democrats working with Liz Cheney.
Let’s hope this time it succeeds.
Anybody besides me wondering if putting the WD on the anniversary of 9-11 increases the risk of a terrorist act on that day?
Maybe that’s the point. Bait them into hitting us when we ‘do the right thing’ and justify another 20 years of bombing their rubble with expensive toys from Raytheon.
Someone will always try to step in and prove themselves to be the Top Dog. I suspect China will take up the mantle. After all they want to prove themselves equal to the United States. To that I say let them.
A country with no rule of law wants to rule the world?
It’s double buttered popcorn time!
(with chinese characteristics 😉 )
$2000 worth of stimulus checks, an infrastructure plan, withdrawal from foreign entanglements: it looks like we’ve voted in a more competent Trump.
and now a plan to make the electric grid more secure. not a more competent trump, but an anti-trump
“a plan to make the electric grid more secure”
Serious adults? In MY government? ASTONISHING!
Keep in mind, that unlike Trump , Biden is not aginst military alliances
How is it Biden has the opportunity to do this when Trump supporter after Trump supporter swore to me Trump ended all these wars??? LOL
Both sides are hypocrites. Entertain me with something I don’t know.
Both sides are terrible, so vote GOP!
If you know both sides are hypocrites then what is the point of your post?
Funny thing is , I’m not really on board with the decision but with Biden I have a comfort level that we conducted a policy review. With Trump it was simply a visceral reaction. Same result but a lot less drama and histrionics
This is a good example of the rationalization that many will use to explain to themselves how they can vehemently oppose a policy proposed by Trump, but cheer the same policy when proposed by Biden. We will see a lot more of this, as for all the rhetorical differences, there is not that much actual difference between the two Presidents, particularly on foreign policy.
Alliances is one. And that’s huge.
“I would not risk one US soldier defending any place where US troops do not belong in the first place.” They belong nowhere beyond the shores and borders of the ’48.’ Give our ‘possessions’ independence and Alaska to Canada. KISS: Keep it simple, Stupid. +++
It seems that US will not get rid of the consequences of 9/11, such as “Patriot Act” which will find new enemies
I’ve warned of that for years, to no one who heard me. It’s just a matter of time before we emulate the French Revolution in style. It’s gonna be Very Ugly.
The Patriot Act needed to go years ago, it is blatantly unconstitutional
Would be fantastic for the US to leave Afghanistan, but I hope it’s not in preparation for another misadventure. The MIC has conditioned all of us to be skeptical about their motives.
Will be interesting to see how they celebrate this as victory on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 when everyone knows the Taliban is taking over again. Maybe Bush can unfurl the Mission Accomplished banner one more time?
I guess we’ll need them for war with China over Taiwan.
Woo-Hoo! About time. As an avowed anti-Trumpist, I was ready to congratulate him if he got us out. We should use this same line of reasoning wherever we have troops. Even if a country invites us in to help, we have to ask ourselves: Why can they not deal with the issue themselves? Does the solution to the problem depend on our continued presence? If it does, it will only take about 6 months before our troops’ presence begins to cause resentment and anti-American protests. If China or Russia thinks they want to rule the world, let them try. It will break them financially and everyone will hate them like they currently do us.
well stated
Should there be a “world police”? If so, who?
No and I never said otherwise
But the US willingness to go it alone (or with a few other coerced states) is more galling than anything else.
Trump and Bush (with Cheney really calling the shots) were the worst.
But Obama’s drone policy is certainly right up there
Should be the UN, or a similar organization that gives all countries a voice in it. Judging by the the success of the UN, we just aren’t ready for that level of civilization. Maybe after the next world war, when there are 80% fewer people to worry about.
There needs to be policing at that level, or you end up with gangs of countries running things. Defund the police is a bad idea at any scale.
Should there be a “world police”? If so, who?
Here’s a thought: The population of nations in the world is a couple hundred. What form of “policing” would a group of a couple hundred isolated, adult humans use?
Nature abhors a vacuum. Something’s gonna rush in. Price of heroin will skyrocket too.
The big mistake was to not come down on the bad guys like a ton of bricks–get in and get out–punish the bad ones and leave rubble behind. Instead Bush 2 got us into Iraq and ignored Afghanistan.
All we did in 20 years is teach the world the flaws in our armor.
We can still kill everyone on the planet in a matter of hours, multiple times if necessary.
That option is unaviaalble.