I'd generally agree that Trump's negotiations for the withdrawal from Afghanistan were not great. The US has not exhibited any skill in any of its negotiations with the Taliban, going back to the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange. Speaking of, didn't Obama kind of set us on this course to begin w…
I'd generally agree that Trump's negotiations for the withdrawal from Afghanistan were not great. The US has not exhibited any skill in any of its negotiations with the Taliban, going back to the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange. Speaking of, didn't Obama kind of set us on this course to begin with? Oh yeah, I think he once spoke of withdrawing all troops by 2014.
As for Biden's role in Afghanistan, he basically took ownership of it early in 2021. No one ever said "Trump left us a mess" until at least August of that year. Meanwhile, Biden promised an orderly evacuation. "Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31st. The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart. " Note, also, that he retained Zalmay Khalilzad in his administration. He even brought up the chaotic scenes of the evacuation of the US embassy in Saigon, saying "there going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy from Afghanistan. It's not at all comparable. By the time the entire rigamarole happened, Biden had clearly taken ownership of the withdrawal and promised.
You're right about one thing, this is TL;DR.
I'd generally agree that Trump's negotiations for the withdrawal from Afghanistan were not great. The US has not exhibited any skill in any of its negotiations with the Taliban, going back to the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner exchange. Speaking of, didn't Obama kind of set us on this course to begin with? Oh yeah, I think he once spoke of withdrawing all troops by 2014.
As for Biden's role in Afghanistan, he basically took ownership of it early in 2021. No one ever said "Trump left us a mess" until at least August of that year. Meanwhile, Biden promised an orderly evacuation. "Our military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on August 31st. The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart. " Note, also, that he retained Zalmay Khalilzad in his administration. He even brought up the chaotic scenes of the evacuation of the US embassy in Saigon, saying "there going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy from Afghanistan. It's not at all comparable. By the time the entire rigamarole happened, Biden had clearly taken ownership of the withdrawal and promised.