I hope America and our allies can provide enough support to the Afghanistan government to prevent the Taliban from winning.
U.S. officials said after Biden’s announcement that extra military personnel would likely be positioned in Afghanistan to facilitate the pullout of troops and equipment, and the Pentagon typically beefs up its military presence as a precaution when executing a sizeable withdrawal. When the U.S. pulled troops out of Somalia in December it kept an aircraft carrier in the region as a precaution.
Which is good because the Taliban are much more violent lately.
American forces are already contracting their footprints to concentrate for withdrawal. Let's hope the Rangers and air power create a hard enough target to hold off the Taliban long enough to skedaddle.
And after? Well, good luck with that remote recon and air strike idea. Not. Going. To. Happen. The script for the Taliban Dead Baby Parades writes itself.
Expressing high confidence in the wisdom of evacuating American and coalition troops from Afghanistan, the State Department has ordered "a big drawdawn" in the Kabul embassy staff. I think the Secretary of State should be required to permanently relocate his office to Kabul. Or perhaps the vice president. Otherwise this looks like a retreat.
If Biden says we have "peace with honor," I'll puke. But on the bright side, as a landlocked country there will be no flood of escaping boat people to rescue.
UPDATE: Just feel the confidence in how well our withdrawal will work!
In the nearly two decades that the U.S. has been battling the Taliban and al-Qaeda, tens of thousands of Afghans have risked their lives supporting U.S. troops. That was dangerous enough, but many will be at even greater risk after American forces leave — if, as many expect, the Taliban sweep back into Afghan cities and target suspected collaborators.
It will be very ugly on the ground while we pull out if our local allies agree that that prediction.
Is our policy to pretend all will be well after we go to convince our local allies to stay calm while we go? Will we get that "decent interval"?
UPDATE: Confidence!
The United States will cut off foreign aid to Afghanistan should the Taliban take power in the country, American senators have said.
I suppose I should call it a victory that the Senate is against funding a victorious enemy.
Tip to Instapundit.
UPDATE: We already have Black April. Let's not add another reminder of abandoning allies.
UPDATE: Let's not say we weren't warned:
America's "war on terror" is about to enter a new phase as President Joe Biden prepares to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of 9/11, but now al Qaeda claims its war with America is far from over.In an exclusive interview with CNN conducted through intermediaries, two al Qaeda operatives tell CNN that "war against the US will be continuing on all other fronts unless they are expelled from the rest of the Islamic world."
