U.S. failed in Afghanistan, former president says

[brooklynite]

Politico

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghanistan’s former president said Sunday the United States came to his country to fight extremism and bring stability to his war-tortured nation and is leaving nearly 20 years later having failed at both.

In an interview with The Associated Press just weeks before the last U.S. and NATO troops leave Afghanistan, ending their ‘forever war,’ Hamid Karzai said extremism is at its “highest point” and the departing troops are leaving behind a disaster.

“The international community came here 20 years ago with this clear objective of fighting extremism and bringing stability ... but extremism is at the highest point today. So they have failed,” he said.

Their legacy is a war-ravaged nation in “total disgrace and disaster.”

[milestogo]

1. All former presidents agree.

The US failed, just as all nations have failed in Afghanistan. We were warned.

[dalton99a]

2. The U.S. succeeded in making Hamid Karzai a very wealthy man

along with his extended family

[Blues Heron]

3. Dropping bombs is itself pretty extreme

You've already failed if you come in guns blazing and bombs dropping on a psycho 9/11 revenge high. Of course that's a fail.

[tirebiter]

4. The moment Iraq became the focus it went limp in Afghanistan.

It was actually going well right up to that moment that Bush blinked and went neoconservative to “finish” his fathers war.

[Cinnamonspice]

5. He's sort of right.

We've leaving with extremists in charge and the Taliban running some areas.

But what do we do? Keep fighting forever?