08-17-2021, 12:10 AM
(08-16-2021, 06:40 PM)Sled21 Wrote: Trump said he was going to withdraw them, but put the stipulation on it that the Taliban must not take over the country again. One thing about Trump, he wasn't afraid to change his mind on something according to new developments as they came along. I don't really blast the withdraw as much as the manner. First, Biden we should not have taken air support away from the Afghan National Army. Secondly, we should have left in a couple of months, when winter hits, instead of right in the middle of their fighting season. That would have at least given the national forces a chance.
The last bolded kind of makes sense. The Taliban would have taken over in spring, but the world would have been spared some bad
airport scenes.
Any "stipulation" that the Taliban not take over would be unenforceable. That was to make concessions sound like negotiations.
Looks like Trump's time line is what triggered the Morale collapse in the ANDSF.
For people who wanted the US to leave, the only problem I see is the unexpected ANDSF collapse/surrender, which accelerated the withdrawal time table and the loss of perimeter control at the airport. The US will certainly be out of the country, as Trump and Biden and most on "both sides" wanted.
Now it will be difficult to rescue the 20,000 or so target for immigration to the US. But probably they will restore order by tomorrow and get many or even most of them out.