It was the former US President Donald Trump (75) who ended the war in Afghanistan. This was a popular decision in the United States. The Taliban, it was believed, were an even better militia. How appearances could be deceiving. A month ago, Trump’s successor, US President Joe Biden (78), was asked whether the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan was not “inevitable”.
“No, it isn’t,” Biden replied to the reporter. “Because the Afghan troops have 300,000 well-equipped soldiers, better equipped than any other army in the world, and an air force against around 75,000 Taliban. “It’s not inevitable,” affirmed Biden.
A month later, on the day Kabul fell, a photo shows the US president alone in an office. A powerful picture. Biden discusses the situation in Afghanistan with his highest security staff and generals on the screen. That has completely slipped away from the US President.
Biden defended US withdrawal
The developments in Afghanistan, which lead to another US war trauma almost half a century after Vietnam, were beyond Biden’s decision-making power. But even in view of his spectacularly wrong assessment of the situation in Afghanistan, Biden is now considered the culprit in Washington.
By September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States that led to America’s invasion of Afghanistan, Biden wanted all troops withdrawn. Regardless of the location. He did not want to send troops again, Biden said this week, “to fight again in another country’s civil war”.
In a statement on Friday, Trump blamed his successor for “the tragic chaos in Afghanistan” – and added: “Do you miss me already?” On Saturday, when the fall of Kabul was looming, Trump replied: “What Joe Biden did with Afghanistan is legendary. It will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history. “
Trump calls for Biden to resign
“Joe Biden is always wrong about foreign policy and many other subjects. Everyone knew that he was not up to the pressure », so the statement of Trump. His government left Biden with a withdrawal plan – “a plan that would protect our people and property and ensure that the Taliban would not dream of taking our message or creating a basis for new attacks against America.”
Trump conveniently ignores the fact that the American-backed Afghan government had long since slipped control of the country. But the withdrawal, he asserts, should have been flexible and gradual, depending on the local situation. “I’ve built a credible deterrent,” said Trump. “That deterrent is gone now. The Taliban no longer fear or respect America or America’s power. What a shame it will be when the Taliban hoist their flag over the American embassy in Kabul. This is a complete failure due to weakness, incompetence and total strategic incoherence. “
Biden, according to Trump, should “resign in shame”.