Why do people think the Biden Admin. was bound by the Trump Admin. agreement to withdraw from Afghanistan?

[roguenuke]

Yes, I recall this same hesitancy to criticize Trump policies in action for lack of a "better actual plan" and an absence of "facts" and "actual evidence [he] could truly do better," don't you?

The chaos we witnessed is a fact. So were the desperate people clinging to the wings of departing aircraft. So was the outsourced airport gate security to the Taliban. So are the 13 dead Marines. So are the 100's of Americans left behind to fend for themselves against the Taliban. So are the 1000's of allies similarly facing Taliban "justice."

It was and is a ****ing disaster and one of the single most shameful military episodes in our history.

But yes, as you say, "we don't know."

The chaos was going to happen no matter what.

You have provided no plan that would have produced different results, less deaths, less chaos.

 

[NatMorton]

You just wanted more attacks to blame on Biden. You lost.

I want American and allied lives saved. You want to pretend those lives done matter. This difference will always separate us.

 

[NatMorton]

You are projecting there. You have absolutely no clue what my politics are. Stop doing that, it makes you appear to only be a politically minded hack.

Appear?

 

[NatMorton]

The chaos was going to happen no matter what.

You have provided no plan that would have produced different results, less deaths, less chaos.

Really? I recall Joe Biden saying in early July that the evacuation of Afghanistan was not going to be chaotic like that in Vietnam. Was he wrong or was he lying?

 

[roguenuke]

Really? I recall Joe Biden saying in early July that the evacuation of Afghanistan was not going to be chaotic like that in Vietnam. Was he wrong or was he lying?

He was wrong. He likely believed that at the time because in early July, from the info we have, the experts, the intelligence was saying that the Taliban would not take over, the government there would not collapse for months, not weeks.

 

[iguanaman]

I want American and allied lives saved. You want to pretend those lives done matter. This difference will always separate us.

If it mattered to those left behind they would have left earlier. I really don't have tolerance for personal irresponsibility.

 

[Jredbaron96]

Air power was not going to reserve Taliban gains, that's for sure.

Reserve?

 

[NatMorton]

He was wrong. He likely believed that at the time because in early July, from the info we have, the experts, the intelligence was saying that the Taliban would not take over, the government there would not collapse for months, not weeks.

Okay, you tell me now that the level of chaos we saw in the withdrawal was "inevitable." Why are you able to make this claim now when the most powerful man the world with -- literally -- an army of experts at his disposal promised us things would be fine just eight weeks ago?

 

[NatMorton]

If it mattered to those left behind they would have left earlier. I really don't have tolerance for personal irresponsibility.

^^^ why we cannot take so many on the left seriously on foreign policy matters. They'd rather throw away lives than acknowledge error.

 

[Objective Voice]

Could you help me with something? Does the 100k figure include or exclude those that fell off the wings of departing aircraft?

Did they drop back onto Afghan soil?

 

[NatMorton]

Did they drop back onto Afghan soil?

Would depend on their grip and tolerance for wind shear.

 

[craig]

Would depend on their grip and tolerance for wind shear.

And if they were carrying a bomb. Do you think any of them were legitimate candidates for asylum?

 

[Oozlefinch]

There was no way we should have stayed at that airport any longer in the hopes that a few more Americans might change their minds and decide they wanted to leave.

Or could not get there. Yeah, screw them, they were probably Republicans anyways, right?

 

[craig]

Or could not get there. Yeah, screw them, they were probably Republicans anyways, right?

The republican had already left.

 

[Oozlefinch]

He was wrong. He likely believed that at the time because in early July, from the info we have, the experts, the intelligence was saying that the Taliban would not take over, the government there would not collapse for months, not weeks.

That is proven to be wrong. He was only listening to the experts that were telling him what he wanted to hear.

Actually, there was screaming from a lot of intelligence circles predicting exactly this. The BBC has been discussing this a lot the last few weeks. How most of the experts in the region were predicting exactly this, but the top bosses were ignoring them. And the UK has a lot more trapped there than we do. They have thousands, and are advising them to stay in place. We know hundreds of Americans are strapped, and being told the same thing.

But the politicians do not seem to give a damn. Gotta get out, screw whoever was left.

 

[smallvoice]

Reserve?

That's what YOU said.

No, it won't.

 

[smallvoice]

I can't believe this 20 year disaster ended in disaster.

But please, tell us more about your brilliant plan that would have fixed everything.

That plan would not look anything like what Biden executed...

 

[iguanaman]

Or could not get there. Yeah, screw them, they were probably Republicans anyways, right?

Give us all a break. !00's of Americans are dying every day of a preventable disease and yes many of them are Republicans. There is no way staying in Kabul for even another day was worth the risk of attracting more terror attacks.

 

[NatMorton]

And if they were carrying a bomb. Do you think any of them were legitimate candidates for asylum?

An asylum? Yes.

 

[Fishking]

I keep seeing it implied (and stated by Biden himself) that the U.S. and Biden Admin. had to continue with the U.S. withdrawal because of the agreement Trump had made last year to withdraw.

Why?

1) President Joe Biden has spent months changing Trump policies, why couldn't he change regarding U.S.withdrawal from Afghanistan?
2) Some will say that "The American voters wanted the U.S. to withdraw".

So? Americans always want to end our
involvement overseas somewhere. It is an IAO (Instinctive American Opinion). If you polled the American people and ask them if the U.S. should withdraw from Cardassia you would probably get a majority supporting that.

Beyond that, can anyone honestly say that there has been a massive grassroots movement in the U.S. for us to withdraw from Afghanistan? Of course not, It was a non issue in the last election.

So why do people want to claim the Biden Admin. was in any way obligated to go along with the agreements Trump had made?

Pretty simple answer. It's an excuse used by Biden, his admin, and leftists to try and put the blame on someone else in how this was executed. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[craig]

Pretty simple answer. It's an excuse used by Biden, his admin, and leftists to try and put the blame on someone else in how this was executed. Nothing more, nothing less.

He could have done nothing and allowed the Taliban to roll over the few troops left there by Trump.

 

[Fishking]

He could have done nothing and allowed the Taliban to roll over the few troops left there by Trump.

There were plenty of assets there to ensure no one would've been rolled over.

 

[craig]

There were plenty of assets there to ensure no one would've been rolled over.

As part of the Doha Agreement, the Trump administration agreed to an initial reduction of US forces from 13,000 to 8,600 troops by July 2020, followed by a complete withdrawal by 1 May 2021,

Jan 15, 2021 — WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has met its goal of reducing the number of troops in Afghanistan to about 2,500 by Friday, ...

 

[craig]

There were plenty of assets there to ensure no one would've been rolled over.

I enjoyed the first Black Company book very much. Have you read "The First Law" written by Joe Abercrombie?

 

[iguanaman]

Pretty simple answer. It's an excuse used by Biden, his admin, and leftists to try and put the blame on someone else in how this was executed. Nothing more, nothing less.

At least 2 other attempted strikes were thwarted by our militaries defenses and the help of the Taliban. I think 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Whatever the conditions at the time of our withdrawal there would have been crowds that ISIS-K would target. They were in the city before the Taliban even took over. That's why getting out on the 31st was so important. We could not justify the murder of 100's more Afghans because we were there.
BTW That mantra of "Biden, his admin, and leftists" as all being one and the same is just not true unless you are so far right that the center looks left to you. The Democratic party is center left and so is the Biden Administration.