Biden declared that, “it’s time to end the forever war” and that “it’s time for American troops to come home.” Obama said things like that too when he was announcing withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan that didn’t turn out to be actual withdrawals.
“While we will not stay involved in Afghanistan militarily, our diplomatic and humanitarian work will continue. We’ll continue to support the government of Afghanistan. We will keep providing assistance to the Afghan National Defenses and Security Forces,” Biden said in his big speech.
What does any of that actually mean?
In March, we learned that there are 1,000 more special ops people in Afghanistan than are officially on the books.
Now the military is talking about exactly how many American troops will be remaining on the ground.
As early as this week, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, Gen. Frank McKenzie, will give Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin a range of military options for securing the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan and providing counterterrorism support from outside the country once the withdrawal is complete, officials said. The number of American troops needed for the overall security missions inside Afghanistan will depend on a variety of requirements, and could range from roughly a couple hundred to a bit less than 1,000, officials said.
1,000 is quite a lot of soldiers.
Especially since there were only between 2,500 and 3,500 to begin with at the start of Biden’s withdrawal. Announcing a withdrawal that takes troop numbers from a few thousand to a thousand is a joke.
And typical of Obama’s fake withdrawals.
If we’re withdrawing, we should do so. The Taliban and their Al Qaeda affiliate allies will take over. No American personnel, military or civilian, should be there in harm’s way. I’m sure there’s nothing Al Qaeda will love more than repeating Benghazi in Kabul.
Either win or leave. The halfway stuff doesn’t work.
Biden doesn’t want to win, and he wants credit for leaving without actually doing it.
Frank Anderson says
I do not understand how any embassy personnel can remain without a real force to protect them, not just the formal Marine guards, who are the finest in the world, but sufficient force to prevent another Libya. If the US exits, it cannot depend on whatever group takes power to perform the usual diplomatic duty to protect the embassy. Look what happened in Iran. No more hostages with US flags. In or OUT. This is anything but a civilized country ready to conform to international duties. If it were it would stop the drug trade instead of promoting it.
Infidel says
Why doesn’t the US do what it normally does in such situations, and assign the embassy in, say Tajikistan, to handle affairs in Afghanistan. And for that matter, Pakistan as well
gravenimage says
Agreed, since it is not safe from Americans or any civilized diplomatic staff in Afghanistan.
gravenimage says
Biden ‘Withdrawal’ May Leave 1,000 Soldiers in Afghanistan
………………..
No surprise here…
Christopher Watson says
Off the point but I see the dollar has fallen (or crashed) to it’s lowest rate against the pound in 5 years.
Frank Anderson says
C.W. I suggest that inflation favors debtors. The US government is the biggest debtor in the world and in history. Look at what inflation did to Weimar Germany, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and everywhere else it has been forced on people by a don’t care government. There is no free lunch. Printing money destroys the value of the money already in circulation and punishes workers, investors and savers in favor of parasites. Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the lessons of the past are condemned to repeat them.”
Phil Copson says
Crashing the economy benefits the rich and conscienceless since they can then snap-up even more assets at a fraction of their true value; the vast unearned wealth of the Zuckerbergs and Bezos of this world makes them immune from the results of the policies they pay to have imposed on others.
Reducing people to poverty also makes them dependent upon the government, and denying them an education makes them less likely to question their masters.
A broke society can also no longer afford to defend itself, so inflation works as a strategic weapon for globalists, socialists, and islamists alike.
Looking forward to seeing the links between Fauci, the CCP, Zuckerberg, Gates, and others being exposed.
Frank Anderson says
P.C. that precise result happened locally in the Great Depression. The THIRD generation is now controlling oil and timber interests worth millions, bought for pennies. They even had their own personal representative in Congress who every once in a while threw us dogs a bone.
What passes for education now in the US is nothing more than liberal brainwashing. I started college in 1967. A few “liberals” were forced on me by “required” courses that had NOTHING to do with my major. NOW all you have are closet communists teaching the courses and grading the tests. That is not an education. I think the movie Idiocracy is enlightening. We are living it today.
Giacomo Latta says
“it’s time to end the forever war”
Somebody beat you to that declaration, Biden.
”We will keep providing assistance to the Afghan National Defenses and Security Forces”
So that’s where those Tony Robbins videos are headed.
Andrew Blackadder says
The Taliban have now zero respect for anything the American Government says as they had already agreed ,with the Trump Administration, that US Troops will leave May 1st, but Biden decided that was not going to work, and the Taliban can see,clearly, that the Americans change horses in mid stream and speak out of the sides of their mouths, and so cannot be trusted, and the one thing you can say about the Taliban is that they believe the word of a man should be trusted, and now they see this silly old goat saying Troops will leave on 9/11… BUT… many will remain..
I told many people ages ago that Biden will leave at least 500.
In order to defend the US Embassy In Kabul,you do not need 1000, or even 500, as the Building is like a Fortress with cameras everywhere, and so enough Marines to defend the Embassy, and stay OUT of Afghani Politics, as much as I think the Taliban are a bunch of savages living in the 7th century,it is after all, their country, their Rules, their Laws and we do not have the right to dictate too a country Uncle Sam invaded under ridiculous reasons, none of the 9/11 hijackers came form Afghanistan,they came from Saudi Arabia, and soon after US Troops entered that country they let the Bin Laden gang escape over the mountains, just as they allowed the Bin Laden Family members to leave the USA during the attacks on 9/11.
Bring ALL US Troops back to America and defend our International Border just as they seem to be doing for countries all over the World.
US Troops in Europe, defending Europe from WHOM exactly, and can they not now take care of themselves, 76 years on.
Can Saudi Arabia not build an Army, an Air Force among their own people?.
Frank Anderson says
A.B., the one proposition of your comment that I sincerely question is whether the Taliban “trust” or “respect” any non-muslim. To a pious, believing muslim, anyone who is not muslim is worthless scum, fit only for death or slavery. I ask you, if you are not familiar with the 1400 year old teaching, to become familiar with the fundamental rule that a muslim’s promise is meaningless when made to a non-muslim, even to another muslim who is not considered muslim enough by the one making the promise. RS tells the short vivid account in his Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam.
I have 6 continuously operating cameras at my home in the US. Backing those cameras are many firearms loaded and ready to use immediately. In my state, my home and place of business are essentially “free fire zones” against invasions, which happen often to unprotected homes. Cameras are useless except to show what happened. Remember one description of a gun free zone, A collection of helpless victims where after the event the police will be called to take pictures, make notes, remove the bodies and try to decide what to do next. Our police and law here are much more competent and sensible than the government officials in Afghanistan. What works here will not work there.
A US embassy in Kabul under the Taliban, or Taliban influence is no more secure than the Tehran embassy in 1979. There is no need to expose milquetoast diplomats and a few of the bravest, highest quality Marines to certain danger, violence and death on a Presidential ego trip. IN or OUT. To me, OUT is better considering all the absurd limitations that have been tolerated for 20 years.
It would be interesting to think about Saudi Arabia or Egypt taking over our work. I predict their “rules of engagement” would be entirely different and produce results.
With greatest respect..