Current Affairs Afghanistan

[tsubaki]

There was absolutely nothing compelling Biden to leave by September 2021. Quite literally nothing. Indeed, he'd already moved Trump's May 'deadline'.

He was not constrained on this in the slightest.

Of course he was. He had 2500 troops in the entire country, and he had a deal his predecessor had signed promising to withdraw by a certain date (with all the side bits to that like the release of thousands of Taliban prisoners and the sidelining of the then Afghan government).

Pretending none of that matters because he could have done something else (though I've not really heard anything sensible ever proposed about what else he was meant to do) is just wrong.

 

[Prevenger17]

I am really struggling to imagine a more stupid action undertaken by an American President.…

I'm not struggling tbh, but thats not to underplay the stupidity of this

 

[Prevenger17]

as an aside, it is interesting to peek into the vaults at what certain posters outraged about this now said at the time about what Trump did to the Kurds

Oh aye, if Trump oversaw this disaster there would be a very different view of this from some quarters I imagine. "But the main thing is, he got them out etc..."

 

[tsubaki]

Oh aye, if Trump oversaw this disaster there would be a very different view of this from some quarters I imagine. "But the main thing is, he got them out etc..."

"good job we got out when we did, a visionary together with Boris (ellipses)"

 

[Tubey]

Of course he was. He had 2500 troops in the entire country, and he had a deal his predecessor had signed promising to withdraw by a certain date (with all the side bits to that like the release of thousands of Taliban prisoners and the sidelining of the then Afghan government).

Pretending none of that matters because he could have done something else (though I've not really heard anything sensible ever proposed about what else he was meant to do) is just wrong.

1. He's had eight months to boost troop numbers and come up with a better deadline.

2. His predecessor's date had already been overruled, showing he wasn't constrained.

This is like excusing the necessity of Trump's wall "because Obama let the Mexicans in in the first place". It doesn't make sense.

 

[Tubey]

Oh aye, if Trump oversaw this disaster there would be a very different view of this from some quarters I imagine. "But the main thing is, he got them out etc..."

Works both ways - if Trump did exactly what Biden has done, the people defending Biden now would be on the attack without a second thought.

It's political from everyone.

 

[longers]

…


This should bury Biden. After 20 years of blood and treasure by many countries, not just America, he has turned a relatively stable country into a complete and utter mess. The Political and strategic damage this will do to the USA and it’s allies will not just go away, and the West’s enemies will be rubbing their hands. I am really struggling to imagine a more stupid action undertaken by an American President.…

Do you have a very short memory ? Iraq war ? Vietnam ? Afghanistan invasion...

Biden has screwed up but it's not even in the same ball park as these cockups. No one comes close to Bush in terms of stupid actions which have had a catastrophic effect on the world.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Trump was going to do the same as Biden.

Quite a few posters seem to mention how badly wrong Biden has got it but both parties agree.

 

[tsubaki]

1. He's had eight months to boost troop numbers and come up with a better deadline.

2. His predecessor's date had already been overruled, showing he wasn't constrained.

This is like excusing the necessity of Trump's wall "because Obama let the Mexicans in in the first place". It doesn't make sense.

er - doing the first would have had consequences, and doing the second probably did have consequences too (given when the Taliban's campaign started)

you appear to be defining anyone pointing out reality to you as "defending Biden", which is why it probably doesn't make sense to you

 

[Tubey]

Do you have a very short memory ? Iraq war ? Vietnam ? Afghanistan invasion...

Biden has screwed up but it's not even in the same ball park as these.

I don't know who this is, but if it's true, this comes pretty close to the same ballpark in terms of raw incompetence.

"Hey Taliban peeps, we're withdrawing for no apparent reason, well before we're ready to logistically, despite you presenting no clear offensive military threat and haven't actually killed one of us in the best part of 18 months. As a going away present, here you go, here's billions of dollars of free equipment, and the identities of all our Afghan collaborators. Have fun with the retribution murders guys!"

 

[Tubey]

er - doing the first would have had consequences, and doing the second probably did have consequences too (given when the Taliban's campaign started)

you appear to be defining anyone pointing out reality to you as "defending Biden", which is why it probably doesn't make sense to you

Oh right yeah, I forgot, the Taliban are an elite fighting force and we can't upset them because of the 'consequences'.

 

[tsubaki]

Oh right yeah, I forgot, the Taliban are an elite fighting force and we can't upset them because of the 'consequences'.

What a brave statement to make from your keyboard, thousands of miles away from the people who would have to deal with those consequences.

 

[BlueToff]

Ah, is it still the ‘you can’t possibly blame Biden because he’s a democrat and Trump is evil’ line?

madness. His administration has clearly cocked up, massively. As much as the Trump administration making the deal was bad.

 

[longers]

I don't know who this is, but if it's true, this comes pretty close to the same ballpark in terms of raw incompetence.

"Hey Taliban peeps, we're withdrawing for no apparent reason, well before we're ready to logistically, despite you presenting no clear offensive military threat and haven't actually killed one of us in the best part of 18 months. As a going away present, here you go, here's billions of dollars of free equipment, and the identities of all our Afghan collaborators. Have fun with the retribution murders guys!"

Its stupid no doubt, but he's got about another half a million civilian deaths in hand until it gets to Iraq levels of stupidity.

 

[BlueToff]

What a brave statement to make from your keyboard, thousands of miles away from the people who would have to deal with those consequences.

Well the Biden administration’s handling of this situation has made the consequences for those people a lot worse hasn’t it