It’s a rare occasion that I agree with Joe Biden on anything. But frankly, I have to agree that the U.S. exit from Afghanistan is well timed and a resounding success.
There is no loss of life that doesn’t count but in a war that has already claimed nearly 2500 service member lives, thirteen more in a precarious exit seems to be successful when considering that staying would likely have caused hundreds if not thousands of additional lives lost. Exiting meant a systematic drawdown that left fewer and fewer to enforce security against an emboldened enemy. It’s impossible for everyone to get on one plane and leave at the same exact time. It’s really a wonder there wasn’t more loss of life.
It is grievous that we couldn’t do more for the Afghan people, but we are not the benevolent keepers of the entire world. We were there to disrupt international terrorism and get Osama bin Laden. Mission accomplished.
An entire Afghan generation of potential terrorists has grown up in a war torn country that will likely have little taste for fighting an unreachable adversary unseen oceans away. Infrastructure is disrupted, strategic planning crippled and military capability disabled. Regaining their foothold will take the terrorists yet another generation and perspectives of war and jihad will not likely be the same or evolve with the same determination.
Thank you to our American service members for a job well done and to President Joe Biden for his sense of resolve and accumen for completing the mission.
©2021 – Jim Casey
