This morning I had C-SPAN on and I caught part of, I guess it was yesterday's press conference, but it wasn't in that usual room with the podium they always use, but it was Biden taking questions. I mean ya gotta call em like ya see em. The dude really is.... I dunno what ya call it, I don't want to say senile, or dementia, or alzheimers... I have no idea.... but his brain is bumbled. It's like, what's he gonna screw up next? Example... Someone asked a question about some family and in the question she clearly said... "the husband, wife, and their three daughters"... and Biden comes back with something... "we're going to get that family, those three people, out of there". Or something close to that. It's a minor thing, but if you saw the context... its like how could you mess that up? This is the friggin' President. Whatever. Hey, say what you want about Trump, but his brain was sharp as a tack. And before anyone goes off on me, I'd say the same damn thing about Bernie. The man is sharp. The brain's a funny thing. Everyone's different. As an aside, anybody catch Pompeo on the news lately? That dude must have dropped some serious weight. I almost didn't recognize him, but I knew it was him by his voice.
This is a pretty good timeline - critical of both Trump and Biden - on the drawdown and withdrawal of the US military from Afghanistan: 2/29/20: There are 13,000 US troops there. Trump reaches deal with Taliban. Agrees Afghanistan Gov, which is not part of deal, will release 5,000 Taliban fighters. Requires Taliban...1 ...to take action against al Qaeda, not to attack US troops or coalition forces, or launch high-profile attacks. 3/1/20: Afghan president freaks out, says US has no authority to commit to release prisoners held by Afghanistan. (Trump Admin forces it to happen anyway.) ...2 ... Despite there agreement not to attack any provincial capitals, Taliban unilaterally attacks Afghan forces in Helmand province. 3/19/2020: DOD IG says U.S. cut troop levels by more than 4,000, even though “Taliban escalated violence further after signing the agreement"...3 8/18/2020: DOD IG releases report saying Taliban didnt distance itself from terrorist organizations in Afghanistan. UN and U.S. "Taliban continued to support al-Qaeda, and conducted joint attacks with al-Qaeda members against Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.”...4 ...in other words *every element of the agreement - dont attack, renounce terrorists, don't work with terrorists - had been violated. 9/3/2020: Afghanistan, pressured by Trump, has been releasing the 5,000 Taliban in jail. Last 400 released this day. They return to fighting...5 ...9/16/2020: In continued violation of the Trump agreement, Taliban - reportedly working with al Qaeda - attacks 3 provinces in Northern Afghanistan.... ...Immediately after election, Trump Admin leaks theyre going to do a massive, rapid withdrawal of US troops before inauguration. Distressed by reports, Rubio warns of “a Saigon-type of situation." McConnell says "would hurt our allies & delight the people who wish us harm"...6 11/17/2020: Without consulting with incoming administration, which is still being blocked from security briefings, Trump Admin announces rapid withdrawal of troops down to 2,500 by 5 days before inauguration. That's down from 13,000 the year before....7 ...this was playing with people's lives. This was incompetence writ large. But here is where Biden screws up - by not more fully reversing the nonsense Trump had done. 2/3/2021: Afghan Study Group, created by Congress, urges Biden to abandon the Trump timetable, and set.../8 ...withdrawal on all sides - both Afghan government and Taliban - meeting all commitments under a peace framework that had been reached. So, it would be based on status, not date. 3/25: Gen Richard Clarke of Central Op Command says Taliban has not met its obligations...9 ...under treaties & frameworks. 4/14: Biden sets a deadline of 9/11 for getting out of Afghanistan, ignoring recommendation of the working group. This is the big mistake. 4/18: Trump rants and raves, saying Biden should start pulling everyone out beginning in about 2 weeks...10 ...so yes, Biden made a mistake. But we are dealing with a situation where the former president pulled down troop levels to a ridiculous level just five days before inauguration, ignored attacks and violations of a treaty he hit, and pretended he had succeeded. He gave them...11 ....5,000 fighters. I mean, look at this: The Taliban was violating *every term* of the treaty, and Trump pulled out 1000s of troops. Other than setting ourselves up for a firefight with the Taliban, the only options seemed to be bringing people back in, changing the timeline..12 ...or this. I dont know. Its a cluster. Im not even sure I can call what Biden did a mistake. Did they have intel that the Taliban, which had been moving forward since Trump struck his stupid deal, was planning to attack our troops? Who were way outmanned? I dont know. But...13 ...this idea that this had some other easy solution or if - instead, as Rubio & McConnell said in December - the rapid drawdown of troops by Trump set up a disaster, a Saigon-type situation that was handed off to Biden, I don't know. But this is what you get when you...14 ...allow violations of treaties, petulant troop withdrawals, and media who seems to have no memory, and a political party hopeful that no one will remember. I am not excusing Biden. I just want experts to say,given the actual situation he was handed, how it should have been done.
The left was warned that their horse was lame but they pressed forward because their Trump Derangement Syndrome overwhelmed any sense of consequence of electing a muttering old man with a world-class track record of dishonesty and scumbaggery. Now they've got the vapors...
So, yeah- I’m not happy with the Brits either right now. The Brits were denying Americans in AFG seeking safety with them for the past few days in Afghanistan - ALL WHILE WE WERE PROVIDING SECURITY AT THE AIRPORT FOR THE BRITS. So yeah if they keep turning back Americans then we shouldn’t provide for their safety.
I bet the Brits, French and Italians and other Europeans want President Donald Trump back. They may hate his guts for standing up for the US, after all he is the US President but, they know he would have done the right thing, including, having an orderly planned withdrawal. That is evacuating all Americans and foreigners out of Afghanistan, destroying all sensitive US military equipment and ammo and US military facilities before taking US troops out.
Trump isn't the president, Obama isn't the president, Bush isn't the president, Biden is the president. He has the power to handle this however he likes. He has the power to scrap any previous plans. All of this, one hundred percent, is on him and his administration. The bottom line is the Biden administration has stranded somewhere between 2500 and 15,000 American citizens behind enemy lines creating the potential for the largest hostage situation we've ever seen. Any and every injury/casualty that happens to these people is on him and his team of buffoons
Trying to figure the Taliban's calculus here... On one hand... if the Taliban continues its charm rouse they seem to understand that they are getting instant recognition of their "government" even from the United States who is forced to do business with them. On the other hand... the Taliban could pull off an epic long-term hostage situation and likely reap billions in US cash in the short term. Y'know... release a few hostages occasionally while demanding cash and prizes. They could string that out for *years*. Tough call but I say they will grab the cash and worry about the consequences never. Their first demand will be for "their" seized assets including $1b+ gold held by the Federal Reserve and their "crown jewels" which is a considerable collection of gems with national significance.
I heard earlier- the hip ones here probably already knew- that the report is that U.S. abandoned Bagram without even notifying the Afghan Army. We know the Afghan Army carries a reputation of not standing up and there are arguments on both sides about whether that is fair BUT CMON MAN give em chance to not be totally, totally, blindsided. You can be a loyal and conscientious crew member on a ship but if rumor/fact spreads that the Captain and the officers have already left the ship there are not many things more unsettling and disheartening than that. I don't know what is true but if that is true it is decidedly unpretty.