Once 78-year-old President Joe Biden gave the U.S. military to green light to evacuate Afghanistan in May, the last few months have been frantically picking up military hardware and evacuating personnel. Biden jumped the gun not thinking how much the U.S. military was needed to bring about an orderly transition, now in utter chaos in Kabul. Panic in the streets prompted some Kabul residents to cling to U.S. C-17 transport planes, literally dropping at least seven to their deaths from the skies as the behemoth planes took off from the Kabul Airport tarmac. “It’s heartbreaking to see what’s happening in Kabul, but that President Joe Biden “stands by” his decision to pull out because he didn’t want the war there—already the longest in U.S. history—to enter a third decade,” said an unnamed U.S. official. More U.S. military presence in Kabul would have mitigated the chaos.
When you consider the parallel of Jan. 6, more advanced planning, keeping a bigger U.S. military presence in Kabul and the airport would have prevented the Taliban from sowing panic in the public. If the FBI heeded the warnings about right wing protests on Jan. 6, the entire riot and mob scene could have been prevented. When Biden was inaugurated Jan. 20, there was no incident with violent protests because the National Guard and D.C. police did their jobs. Yet in Kabul, it’s clear that more U.S. military presence helping maintain order would have been welcomed advanced planning. National Security adviser, 44-year-old Jake Sullivan, gave away the White House incompetence, saying the Afghan military lost their will to fight. With Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country for asylum in Qatar, the Pentagon knew the Afghan military was infiltrated by the Taliban.
Biden administrations officials act surprised that the lightening speed with which the Taliban swept through most of Afghan’s provincial capitals, then encircled Kabul. It’s one thing for Biden to decide, like his predecessor, 75-year-old President Donald Trump, that 20 years in Afghanistan was enough, offering a orderly transition plan. But Biden played things differently, getting U.S. military personnel out first before U.S. embassy personnel and contractors could be safely airlifted from Kabul. Afghan military officials were seen stripping off their uniforms, disguising themselves in civilian closing to escape the Taliban’s wrath. Sullivan calls the Afghan military gutless but, in reality, the handwriting was on the walls with the U.S. military pulling out. Taliban officials simply took what the U.S. gave them, an open door to seize Kabul without any resistance before U.S. and coalition personnel could get out.
Since Trump announced plans last year to end the U.S. Afghan conflict before the 20-year anniversary of Sept. 11, the Taliban was waiting to seize the country. It’s been a long 20 years since Operation Enduring Freedom toppled the Taliban Nov. 14, 2001, only two-and-a-half-months since al-Qaeda terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden flew jetliners into the World Trade Center and Pentagon in the most deadly terrorist attack in world history. Instead of honing in on Bin Laden, 75-year-old former President George W. Bush chose to invade Iraq March 20, 2003, knowing that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with Sept. 11. Once the military diverted resources from Afghanistan to Iraq, the Afghan War became a low-intensity affair with the Taliban fighting a guerrilla war. Once Trump announced his intent to withdraw U.S. forces, the Talbian executed its plan to takeover the country.
Biden’s big mistake was not deploying more U.S. troops to Kabul to assure an orderly transition, knowing that the Taliban would eventually seize the capital. Keeping a larger contingent of U.S. troop in Kabul would have given the evacuation of U.S. and coalition personnel more time. Trump’s 70-year-old former Afghan envoy Zalmay Khalilzad is now in Doha, Qatar, trying to develop a transition plan that would allow the U.N. more influence in a new Taliban government. Taliban’s new leader 53-year-old Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar rejects any attempt by the U.S., or anyone else, to dictate terms of new Taliban government. U.S. and foreign press have been focused on women’s rights in a new Taliban regime. Mullah Baradar seeks to restore strict Sharia law to Afghanistan, changing the role of women now getting more privileges under the former U.S.-backed Ghani regime.
Panic struck Kabul because the lack of a U.S. military presence in Kabul and in the international airport. Baradar already agreed to give the U.S. military more time to bring about an orderly transition. But ordinary Afghans fear that things would change overnight with Mullah Baradar calling the shots, including keeping women out of political roles in the new regime. If Biden wants to help the transition to Taliban rule, he’d keep a larger U.S. military presence in Kabul and around the airport to assure that whoever wants to leave the country they’re given ample opportunity. Jan. 6 should remind everyone that advanced planning makes all the difference. Keeping a strong military presence in Kabul and the airport should help secure an orderly transition during the last days of U.S. Afghan involvement. Taliban has been waiting for this moment for 20 years but they could wait a few days longer.
