Dear Editor,
The American White House, State Department, and, to a lesser extent, the powerful Pentagon, all had the devil’s thankless job trying to bolster, restore America’s super-power image in the face of Commander-in-Chief President Biden’s supervision of the debacle of an Afghanistan withdrawal over recent days. My television’s international channels transmitted in real time, and along with the numerous cellular telephone videos, show how the usually, still powerful American military seemed to be handicapped by a still-disorganized, factionalized Taliban (militia). A Taliban now armed with American military equipment which China, Iran even Russia would love to teach them about.
Even though it will forever be an international embarrassment occasioned by Commander-in-Chief Biden’s withdrawal of 2500 troops only to rush back some 7000 soldiers to the Kabul airfield, I, like other thousands of interested onlookers, will never blame the American military. It was Biden, perhaps heeding blindsided advisors, who caused the ultimate tragedy of a withdrawal and evacuation so long contemplated. By Wednesday the President – whose popularity has dipped significantly in believable polls – stuck with his original August 31 withdrawal date. Though I suspect that his military men have hatched back-up plans to go and get Americans and willing Afghans still trapped behind enemy lines. Never-the-less, I keep wondering just what lessons America will take away from this occupation so embarrassingly ended.
I wrote this missive to emphasize two points (in conclusion). America’s pride and secondary objective of nation building caused them to overstay whatever “welcome” they defined in Afghanistan. Yes, western values flourished among a “free” people over the two decades but centuries – long tribal traditions never fully exited as factions kept them simmering but always alive. Secondly as thousands try to flee the Taliban factions of a “government”, the world – friends and foes alike – witnessed American humiliation of an exit, occasioned by a President who is wedded to a 9/11 twentieth anniversary observance to “celebrate” his Afghanistan exit. That’s all spoilt now as the Taliban flag will fly over an abandoned American embassy in Kabul on that day. I grieve over this historic event in America military history even as I hope for the best for millions of Afghans now contemplating their future. Having missed an American airlift of all time.
Sincerely,
Allan Arthur Fenty
