Afghanistan has fallen, just as I predicted a few weeks ago in this column space. As I view the images of chaos emanating from the region, I am left with two questions: 1. Who is to blame; 2. Why was America in Afghanistan in the first place?
Many within the 24/7 media have begun declaring the fall of Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, as "Biden's failure." To an extent, they are right in that the Taliban's nascent victory took place on President Joe Biden's watch. But to another extent, the pundits are wrong due to one simple fact, which is that America should not have waged war in Afghanistan in the first place!
On the preceding point, former President George W. Bush failed miserably way back in 2001 by not giving great weight to the fact that the powerful Soviet Red Army was befuddled and soundly defeated by Afghan Mujaheddin guerilla fighters in the 1980’s, much in the same way that the Viet Cong befuddled and soundly defeated the United States and South Vietnamese armies in the 1960’s and 70’s.
Bush invaded Afghanistan despite having Colin Powell, a Vietnam veteran serving as his Secretary of State, who was present to warn against the dangers of taking on a battle hardened guerilla army on rugged terrain after the initial objective, chasing Osama Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda out of Afghanistan, was achieved relatively early on.
But such meant little to Bush, the “artful” Vietnam draft dodger, who plowed ahead in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks because in his bravado, he felt it important for the American people to see our high-tech military exacting some level of vengeance, and to nation build under his whole "they hate us for our freedoms" trope that was often espoused. A trope that was nothing short of a neo-colonialism that fomented death, destruction, misery, control of oil, and attempted control of poppy fields across the Middle East.
Thus, the blame starts with Mr. Bush but to be honest, his successor presidents, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, understood that the "never ending war" over there needed to end—but neither took the affirmative steps to end the war on their watches.
Now, the troop draw down in Afghanistan that has ended in this weekend's nightmare was authorized by the Trump administration, but the final removal of American forces is clearly on Mr. Biden's watch. Tragically, I suspect that the next few days will be filled with experts and laypersons questioning whether Biden should have left an American garrison to facilitate the safe passage of American and Afghan nationals? Nationals, I remind, who aided the American war effort—and who will be summarily executed by the Taliban in the days ahead.
Mr. Biden also is to blame for a stunning lack of perspective on precisely what transpired this weekend in Kabul. Last month, when the president was asked whether he saw any similarities between the final days of the Vietnam War and his troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, he replied, "There’s going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy in the, of the United States from Afghanistan." Well that quote didn't age too well, Mr. President, as the iconic photo of Americans scurrying to a helicopter to flee the embassy in South Vietnam will be forever joined by the image below of a helicopter scurrying Americans away from the embassy in Kabul.
Curiously enough, the fall of Saigon in 1975 is one of the first events I remember watching with my family on that big wooden floor model television that we had in our house as a toddler. Now, I had no idea at that age what Vietnam was or why people were crawling over each other on the top of the building, but I can remember seeing those images now as clearly as I see my Android screen as I type this morning. I also remember that at that time, my Vietnam vet father was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia and while I didn't understand it back then, many of my playmates on Base were Vietnamese children who had been brought back to the States by their G.I. fathers. From time to time, I have wondered what became of those friends and more pertinent to today's blog, whether they were ever able to return to Vietnam to visit the other side of their families—if those family members survived? I don't know, but what I do know is that I was exposed early in my own life to the life altering effects of "nation building" and American wars of ideological choice.
Thus, my contention that even a basic comprehension and respect for history could have avoided the logistical nightmare we are seeing in real time in Afghanistan. But such requires a level of humility and introspection that modern American presidents in both parties have sorely lacked.
To be crystal clear, I believe that the war in Afghanistan needed to end, but I also believe that the end could have been handled much better. But more critically, I believe that it is time for these idealistic American crusades abroad, many tinged in notions of Anglo-American cultural superiority, to end, period—full stop! While the Biden administration has failed in a smooth ending to a conflict it inherited, it can only assuage its mistakes by committing to the very concept of ensuring that the American military from this point forward is used for defense—not offensive warfare.
The Hobbservation Point extends prayers for Haiti 🇭🇹 as it recovers from a catastrophic earthquake that has killed over 1,200 people—and counting. As you go about your week, please keep the Haitian people in your prayers and donate to the American Red Cross or your favorite charity to aid in the rescue and recovery efforts if you can!
Thanks for Sharing! A Well Needed and Detailed Commentary about US Military and Current Events.
Although this is so sickening i can hardly read more about it, yours is an excellent distillation of our whole foreign policy/military insanity.