The fact that a disaster is expected does not reduce its scope. The series of attacks committed in Kabul, Thursday, August 26, had been preceded by many public warnings, on the American side, of an imminent danger. The death of thirteen American servicemen in these attacks, claimed by Islamic State-K (EI-K), a group affiliated with the terrorist organization, represents the dark scenario that the Biden administration wanted to avoid.
Very marked, the slow flow, the president once again spoke at the White House, in front of the press. He confirmed the continuation of evacuation operations, calling the dead “Hero” and promised to the guilty to punish them. “We will chase you and we will make you pay”, he said. Vengeful semantics at odds with the president’s own body language, but above all with the sequence of the moment, so humiliating for America. During his speech, the president took refuge on several occasions behind the advice of military officials to justify the definitive abandonment of Bagram airport, which could have served as an alternative hub in Kabul, or to explain the refusal reinforcements, beyond the 6,000 soldiers deployed for the evacuation. He especially stressed the need to respect the date of August 31 to conclude the American withdrawal. Or five days under immense tension: security, political and media.
“The terrorist threat has metastasized, explained the US president on August 20. The danger posed by IS [organisation Etat islamique] and Al-Qaida and their affiliates is much bigger in other countries than it is in Afghanistan. “ This estimate is not wrong, but it now exposes Joe Biden to criticism. Would it have been conceivable to target ISIS militants before the evacuation accelerated? The Democratic president was absolutely convinced that the withdrawal from Afghanistan had to be like an amputation: quick, final, despite the inevitable pain. But this day turns what Joe Biden saw as a courageous act into a serious attack on the honor and integrity of the country.
Under threat of further attacks
Confronted since mid-August with images of Afghan chaos, scenes of distress near the airport and general criticism of an improvised withdrawal, the American president has sought, for ten days, to stage the exceptional nature of the mobilization American. Every day its press releases, its press conferences of officials of the administration, to mark the progress. A total of 104,000 people were evacuated from Kabul, including 37,000 by allied countries. Of this total, there are 5,000 US citizens.
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