Yes it is/was and will be.
Okay, I understand the title is vulgar but it really does encapsulate what is taking place in Afghanistan. It’s an ongoing shit show as I write this and will be a shit show in the news cycle until the evacuation airlift winds down. The one thing that I did like is that President Biden said early on, “the buck stops with me.” He’s right. He made the decision.
He owned it.
Trump gets credit.
Regardless of Trump’s motivation he gets credit for setting the stage for the United States pulling out of Afghanistan. Trump didn’t know for sure that he would lose the election and leave it up to President Biden to finish the task, but he may have had a good idea that he might not be around to actually have to make good on the deal he brokered. To President Biden’s credit he decided to finish the task. It was something that he also wanted done.
President Biden will also get credit for the debacle at the airport in Kabul. Like Biden said, “the buck stops with me.” Trying to act like what happened then and since isn’t a debacle won’t make it so.
That’s not owning it.
Careful what you ask for.
A comment made by a Russian General made early on about our nation’s involvement in Afghanistan has always stayed with me. He simply said that we would eventually leave Afghanistan just as they did. I knew then that he was right. And here we are two decades later leaving Afghanistan.
The Russians now have a well-equipped militant Islamic nation on their doorstep or at least the doorstep of countries that are Russian allies. Allies that are already calling up troops to their borders.
And the Middle East marches on.
Next!
Iraq is the next shit-show-to-be. Or maybe come up with a workable withdrawal plan now and implement it. We should start pulling out civilians now, including all those working for corporate America. Do that right along with pulling out equipment unless there’s another Islamic army that they feel a deep need to equip so that we can have a chance at blowing up our own stuff later. The Iraqi government isn’t any more trustworthy than the Afghan government that used to be or is now.
Do it now or do it later.
Just do it.