Trump's New Big Lie: Afghanistan

[TomCADem]

Biden was, of course, never a fan of staying in Afghanistan. However, what is crazy is how Trump is now trying to distance himself from a situation that he helped create by committing the US to an even earlier withdrawal of May 2021. Biden wanted to withdraw as well, but if the U.S. delayed, then it would have been an all-out war when the main U.S. goal was to take out Osama bin Ladin.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/08/afghanistan-withdrawal-trump-biden.html

First, the “peace accord” that Trump’s emissaries signed with the Taliban in February 2020, in Doha, imposed only a few conditions—and the Taliban are violating none of them at the moment. The Taliban merely agreed not to allow any “individuals or groups, including al-Qaida, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its allies.” The accord did not bar the Taliban from fighting Afghan government troops or from capturing Afghan provinces on its own.

Second, Trump’s claim that he had “discussions with top Taliban leaders” is overstated. A few days after the signing of the accord, on the phone, through an interpreter, he had a discussion with a leader, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who was the Taliban’s delegate to the Doha talks. Afterward, Trump said he had a “very good” relationship with Baradar, lauded the Taliban for “killing terrorists…some very bad people,” and said of the war, “They’re looking to get this ended and we’re looking to get this ended.” A statement released by the White House said that Trump “emphasized the need to continue the reduction in violence” and “urged the Taliban to participate in intra-Afghan negotiations.” The statement said nothing about Barader’s reply, if any.

In other words, there is no evidence that a withdrawal under Trump would have been “much more successful” than it’s going under Biden. Trump’s swift withdrawal of a small contingent of peacekeeping troops from Syria in Oct. 2019, leaving Kurdish allies open to Turkish slaughter, suggests that Trump would have been no more discerning about protecting Afghans. (The Kurds had been instrumental in helping U.S. troops crush ISIS in northern Syria.)

The falsehoods notwithstanding, Trump’s statement will no doubt be parroted by congressional Republicans and conservative pundits in the coming weeks and months. When Biden first announced his withdrawal in April, his critics were nonplussed. Trump, after all, had long called for a pullout; in fact, he initially supported Biden’s decision. Even as the Taliban began routing Afghan security forces and taking over whole provinces earlier this summer, critics remained unsure of how to respond, especially since polls showed a vast majority of Americans agreed with Biden’s move.

[JohnSJ]

1. F**k the press who thinks it is important to tell us what the twice impeached one term

person who occupied the WH thinks

[RainCaster]

2. DFT doesn't think

That is all I have to say.

[JohnSJ]

3. I am sure

[Trueblue1968]

4. women & girls are considered bugs on the floor. i fear they will be abuses and slaughtered

[TomCADem]

6. Then why not invade Nigeria?

I don’t know know whether the Taliban was wholes sale kidnapping and slaughter get women. They were not respecting their rights, and oppressing them, but that is not a reason to continue to occupy a foreign county, particularly since we have enough trouble here preserving our democracy. Can you imagine the US asking for some foreign country to occupy us to preserve our rights? It will not work unless the people themselves fight for it, but sadly Trump painted the US into a corner that would have resulted in US deaths if Biden reneged and decided instead to stay. Plus, what is the US interest in backing ou on withdrawal?

However, if we want to do a humanitarian mission, why not Nigeria where there really is an industry of kidnapping and threatening to murder girls.

[Trueblue1968]

7. this thread is ABOUT Afganistan. I was sticking to the topic.

[TomCADem]

8. If so, then when did occupying Afghanistan ...

… become about trying to introduce an idealized version of Democracy that we are struggling to achieve ourselves?

I totally understood the rationale for that invading Afganistan. Iraq not so much. But continuing to occupy Afghanistan?

We have done a lot for them. We need to respect their sovereignty. Yes, Trump set up a horrible situation, but why should we double down and slow down a withdrawal?

[Trueblue1968]

9. just go pick on someone else would you. i said NOTHING about occupation of Afganistan.

i just expressed horror and sadness for the weakest in the country. news reports show the women are terrified.

[TomCADem]

10. But that is the issue isn't it?

McConnell is/was pushing for an open ended occupation. The fact of the matter is that a withdrawal was always going to be real messy, and I actually think this is not as bad as I feared.

I other words, the Taliban appears to be avoiding direct engagement and attacks on US forces compared to what it could have done.

The big surprise for everyone is how swiftly the government fell, which to me just further proves that we needed to leave.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. Taliban co-founder and leader and 5000 Taliban fighters were released at TFG/US' request

TFG ordered released the head of the Taliban. This man will be the new leader of Afghanistan

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

TFG also ordered the release of 5000 prisoners many of whom are not fighting against the former government

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

Link to tweet