Biden says he did not see a way to withdraw from Afghanistan without 'chaos ensuing'

[TomCADem]

Source: ABC News

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In an exclusive interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, and the president's first since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, President Joe Biden stood firm in his defense of the United States' withdrawal, but asserted for the first time that he believes the chaos was unavoidable.

"So you don't think this could have been handled -- this exit could have been handled better in any way, no mistakes?" Stephanopoulos asked Biden.

"No, I don't think it could have been handled in a way that, we're gonna go back in hindsight and look -- but the idea that somehow, there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don't know how that happens. I don't know how that happened," Biden replied.

* * *
"Now exactly what happened, I've not priced in," he said. "But I knew that they're going to have an enormous -- Look, one of the things we didn't know is what the Taliban would do in terms of trying to keep people from getting out. What they would do. What are they doing now? They're cooperating, letting American citizens get out, American personnel get out, embassies get out, et cetera, but they're having -- we're having some more difficulty having those who helped us when we were in there."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/biden-says-he-did-not-see-a-way-to-withdraw-from-afghanistan-without-chaos-ensuing/ar-AANt9bm?ocid=msedgntp

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A remarkably frank discussion of the reality that a withdrawal from Afghanistan would be chaotic. I think this is why President Obama did ultimately did not withdraw troops, because after following Bush, he would be blamed for "losing" the war that Bush "won." Plus, in the first few years of the Obama Presidency, President Obama, they were still trying to track down members of Al Queda, including Osama bin Ladin.

In contrast, Trump and Republicans would do what they are doing now, and that is gaslight the American public and just scream fake news, and insist that the Taliban would not have taken over if Trump was President, which is BS because that was the deal that Trump had cut, and that all the news of chaos was a lie.

Biden, on the other hand, is pretty much acknowledging that (1) there is no point in remaining in Afghanistan, since its government had become dependent on the United States with Trump not making any effort to put pressure to root out corruption, and (2) noting that there is no way that a withdrawal would not be chaotic. If the withdrawal took longer, then what you would have is years of civil war with Biden being blamed for the ensuring quagmire.

[honest.abe]

1. Funny that is pretty much exactly what I just wrote a few minutes ago.

Clearly its a mess and chaotic but given the situation I think it was mostly unavoidable. I suspect if you turned back time and reran the past several days over and over it would have been basically same result no matter what.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=15755434

I also added..

In fact Joe Biden should be commended for having the guts to finally pull the plug. No other POTUS in the past 20 years did.

[Hoyt]

2. "Unavoidable?" Then why say it wouldn't be chaos? Christ, don't dig a deeper hole.

[honest.abe]

8. He's saying given the fact the Afghan army didnt fight and simply gave up so quickly..

that no one could have anticipated.. yes, it was unavoidable.

[Steelrolled]

19. Agreed - saying is was unavoidable makes no sense.

I think the less said the better.

[yaesu]

3. the chaos could have been a lot worse, you did the right & only thing Mr President. nt

[PortTack]

4. Listening to vets on TikTok and other sites, they pretty much agree on one thing

If you weren’t there, you didn’t serve, then you don’t know what you are talking about..so STFU!

I agree with the vets..it’s totally wrong..that includes the MSM!

[ForgoTheConsequence]

5. That's an idiotic take.

Most vets do not have a firm grasp on foreign policy and are innately biased. There is a reason we have civilian control of the military.

[Hoyt]

6. +1. People clamoring for war and enlisting to kill Muslims is what got us here.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

7. I do feel bad for the people that were duped.

But they were pawns. It's a sad reality, but it's reality. I know it must suck to realize that your sacrifice was for nothing, however, to look back and act like this was a humanitarian mission is rewriting history.

[Docreed2003]

9. Yeah because those of us who served in Afghanistan

Were clearly clamoring for war and enlisting to kill Muslims.

Give me a break. Your post is incredibly offensive

[Hoyt]

11. Look at a chart of enlistments in 2001 and the ones enlisting. A bunch were

at the insurrection too.

[Docreed2003]

13. How about looking right here on DU

And taking a moment to count the number of us here that are veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Hoyt]

14. Those who joined up after 2001 helped encourage the invasions. I do give

credit to those who came out Democrats and opposed needless wars.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

28. +1

Pretending this was a humanitarian mission is a joke.

[Lulu KC]

21. Thank you

It made me gasp.

[The Polack MSgt]

20. Hoyt - you and I have argued some and agreed some about various topics, but this post is shit

Your take on military service is shit

Your assumptions about who makes up the services and why they joined are narrow minded - It's ignorant at best, and reads as hostile misinformed insults.

Accusing those who served as being motivated by prejudice and a desire to kill Muslims is a reeking sack of bullshit

Most of those who fanaticized about killing Muslims never actually did. Many who did join for this reason washed out

I've said at least a dozen times on this board that the DOD is not magic. We draw our recruits from the young people in America, and that means all of them. but the NCO corps is not the monolithic white supremacist cabal you seem to imagine. We root out the worst as we ID them.

Many who come in become radicalized after service - and that is out of our control.

Finally, those who are new to the military have, shall we say, less input on policy than you seem to credit them with

[Hoyt]

29. So, some rube who ran down to the recruitment station after 9/11 didn't know that he would

most likely be assisting in bombing innocent Afghans and Iraqis.

The vets at the Capitol on Jan 6th, joined to better themselves and keep peace worldwide? Don't think so. They darn sure weren't going to join the Peace Corp.

Sorry Sarge, but I remember the guys who couldn't wait to join up and kill innocent Asians in 1967. I worked for 4 damn years with a bunch of officers-to-be, who turned my stomach with their gung-ho BS.

Knew a few kids that pretty much did the same after 2001, acknowledging some people do view the military as a way to better their lives and get training. I applaud that, but wish there were a better way than aiding our military, Peace Corp, Vista, rural teaching corp, whatever.

You seem to be one of the good ones, but surely you aren't telling me there aren't a sizable number of Randy Weavers, Timothy Mcveighs, Eddie Gallaghers, Jeffery Dahmers, William Calleys, etc., that rotate through our military.

[Dream Girl]

16. Agree. That is a ridiculous sentiment. Plus there is not going to be a consisnt military view.

Lots of people were there at various times over the past 20 years. They’re likely to have a multitude of views as are people who didn’t serve.

[RobinA]

30. Yes

You could also say, Anybody who hasn't planned and carried out a massive evacuation from a war zone...STFU.

[AkFemDem]

10. I'm a vet and a retired army civilian...

So I guess my opinion matters and my opinion is those vets are full of poop. It’s fine for anyone to have an opinion, and I’m glad the media exists and shares front eye views of what happens.

[Hoyt]

12. +1.

[Sapient Donkey]

24. Disagree with that. They have a particular viewpoint and insight, but it's just part picture

when having the discussion. It makes me uncomfortable that veterans are against open and free discussion. I mean, isn't the open discussions and freedom to criticize our government, media, corporations, whatever, the major upside we have compared to illiberal undemocratic nations like China or Afghanistan under Taliban rule? Why do people want to shit on the things that make our system better?

[Dream Girl]

17. I'm sure Biden knows him well.

[Deminpenn]

18. As soon as Americans started to leave Afghanistan, even if it quietly,

word would have gotten out and rumors abounded about the US beginning their final pull out. Afghanis who wanted to leave would have paniced about being left behind. The airport/air field chaos would have been exactly the same, maybe even more so.

At least now there is a government, wheter we approve of them or not, with which to negotiate and that we can hold accountable.

[Sapient Donkey]

23. This is valid point. Even if everything was done right, we'd eventually be at a similar point as we

are right now. Whatever that "everything done right" might be. Perhaps the alternatives would have been worse, I'm not 100% what I think as of yet. But either way, eventually there would be millions of Afghans trying to flee to whatever the last remaining foreign presence is. Short of not withdrawing, I find it hard to see how this outcome was anything but inevitable.

[reality1]

27. +1

[marble falls]

25. Going off a lot better than Saigon. Better than it went for the Russians. Better than it went ...

... for the British, better than it went ...........

[reality1]

26. yep

I'll posit this. In the history of warfare has a war ever ended with LESS bloodshed and chaos? The U.S. and Taliban are litterally feet apart working in an unthinkable coordination. As long as our troops get out safe I feel very good about this.

We'll all be seeing that video of Afghans swarming the tarmac the rest of our lives though. Apparently M$M feels that's the most important event and not the phenomenal success of the lack of blood shed and quick response from POTUS and our troops to secure the airport and start evacuating people.