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发帖数: 11530 | 1 What the world is saying about America's withdrawal from Afghanistan
Analysis by Stephen Collinson
Updated 1:32 PM ET, Tue August 17, 2021
(CNN)What happened?
As harrowing pictures of Afghans clinging to US cargo jets in a desperate
bid to escape the Taliban circulate, everyone in Washington is asking a
version of the same questions: Did President Joe Biden misread intelligence
about the imminent collapse of the Afghan government and armed forces? Did
US spy agencies fail to pick up the Taliban surge, which led to the collapse
of numerous provincial strongholds and Kabul within days? Or did the
President simply ignore the evidence in his zeal to end a military
misadventure and reap a political win?
The imagery from Afghanistan is deeply damaging to Biden politically and
paints a disastrous picture of a nation that has long seen itself as a
global leader and guardian of democracy, human rights and humanitarianism.
Biden did admit in an address to the nation that the Taliban triumph had
unfolded more quickly than he had expected, after repeatedly dismissing the
idea that the fundamentalist militia could quickly capture Afghanistan.
As he seeks to stabilize his reeling administration, Biden tried to reframe
the issue into a question of whether the US should leave its longest war or
keep fighting -- conveniently ignoring the question at hand: Did the White
House botch its pullout in a way that caused chaos -- and could expose
thousands of Afghans linked to US forces to a vicious backlash?
Instead, Biden placed blame almost everywhere else. He implicitly rebuked
previous presidents for allowing the 20-year war to go on so long. He
lambasted Afghan leaders and their soldiers for not putting up a fight after
years of US funds and training (an easy and rather callous point to make
from the safety of the East Room's ornate, gold-curtained splendor.)
Biden rightly rounded on ex-President Donald Trump for how he had negotiated
the US exit from Afghanistan to begin with, cutting the Kabul government
out of the loop and doing almost nothing to offer refuge to Afghans who
worked as translators or fixers or fought with US forces. Republicans
savaging Biden's strategy now are effectively condemning him for following a
path that Trump set.
But Biden has been President for seven months. While Trump did incalculable
damage, liberals in the media and Twitter cannot blame his predecessor
forever. "I am President of the United States of America. The buck stops
with me," Biden said.
It just didn't sound like he completely believed it.
What you said
"What is the reason and cause of the speedy advancing of the Taliban? This
cannot have happened out of nowhere. They must have had some orchestrated
help from somewhere. Who is behind all this and why could this not be
stopped? It is like the spreading of the plague or Covid-19, covering most
of the country in no time," said Christine in Munich. "What has happened to
push this that no one seemed to have noticed?"
Karen in Denmark echoed the call made by many to evacuate Afghans who once
helped American forces -- and who now risk retribution from the Taliban: "
Afghans must learn to take responsibility for their own country and stop
blaming the US and allies for their problems. But please US and allies get
the persons who worked for you out of the country, if they wish to. Send as
many planes as needed. No excuse to leave them behind!!"
Meanwhile, Kari in Finland objected to comparisons between the US evacuation
from Afghanistan and the fall of Saigon. "There has been NO 'blitzkrieg' in
Afghanistan. The 'army' and 'security' units have not offered resistance at
all. Krieg means war — there is no krieg against Taliban. They just drive
from city to city waving their flags and guns. There has been no serious
fighting! ... Nothing like Saigon."
Alex lamented Washington's lost credibility as a champion of democracy. "It
is a sad day for the USA. After years and years of lies to their own people
and wrapping them selves in the flags and the patriotic jargon which was
nothing short of outright lies. Now the foreign diplomacy of the US is in
tatters."
And it all boils down to America's poor timing for Sue, who wrote: "The
original purpose -- to take care of those who were responsible for the
attack on this nation in September 2001 -- ended with the elimination of the
one who ordered the hit: Osama Ben Laden. That is when troop withdrawals
should have begun."
'Another historic Washington experiment'
"With horror, the world is watching the result of another historic
Washington experiment," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
posted Sunday on Facebook as the Taliban marched on the Afghan capital. To
drive her point home, Zakharova posted an excerpt of a news conference given
by US President Joe Biden just over a month ago, when he was asked if a
Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was inevitable.
"No, it is not," Biden replied.
"Judge for yourself," Zakharova wrote. America's withdrawal from Afghanistan
Analysis by Stephen Collinson
Updated 1:32 PM ET, Tue August 17, 2021
(CNN)What happened?
As harrowing pictures of Afghans clinging to US cargo jets in a desperate
bid to escape the Taliban circulate, everyone in Washington is asking a
version of the same questions: Did President Joe Biden misread intelligence
about the imminent collapse of the Afghan government and armed forces? Did
US spy agencies fail to pick up the Taliban surge, which led to the collapse
of numerous provincial strongholds and Kabul within days? Or did the
President simply ignore the evidence in his zeal to end a military
misadventure and reap a political win?
The imagery from Afghanistan is deeply damaging to Biden politically and
paints a disastrous picture of a nation that has long seen itself as a
global leader and guardian of democracy, human rights and humanitarianism.
Biden did admit in an address to the nation that the Taliban triumph had
unfolded more quickly than he had expected, after repeatedly dismissing the
idea that the fundamentalist militia could quickly capture Afghanistan.
As he seeks to stabilize his reeling administration, Biden tried to reframe
the issue into a question of whether the US should leave its longest war or
keep fighting -- conveniently ignoring the question at hand: Did the White
House botch its pullout in a way that caused chaos -- and could expose
thousands of Afghans linked to US forces to a vicious backlash?
Instead, Biden placed blame almost everywhere else. He implicitly rebuked
previous presidents for allowing the 20-year war to go on so long. He
lambasted Afghan leaders and their soldiers for not putting up a fight after
years of US funds and training (an easy and rather callous point to make
from the safety of the East Room's ornate, gold-curtained splendor.)
Biden rightly rounded on ex-President Donald Trump for how he had negotiated
the US exit from Afghanistan to begin with, cutting the Kabul government
out of the loop and doing almost nothing to offer refuge to Afghans who
worked as translators or fixers or fought with US forces. Republicans
savaging Biden's strategy now are effectively condemning him for following a
path that Trump set.
But Biden has been President for seven months. While Trump did incalculable
damage, liberals in the media and Twitter cannot blame his predecessor
forever. "I am President of the United States of America. The buck stops
with me," Biden said.
It just didn't sound like he completely believed it.
What you said
Meanwhile's inbox was busy with reader analyses and questions as the Taliban
advanced in Afghanistan. Here are some selected comments -- send yours to
[email protected]
"What is the reason and cause of the speedy advancing of the Taliban? This
cannot have happened out of nowhere. They must have had some orchestrated
help from somewhere. Who is behind all this and why could this not be
stopped? It is like the spreading of the plague or Covid-19, covering most
of the country in no time," said Christine in Munich. "What has happened to
push this that no one seemed to have noticed?"
Karen in Denmark echoed the call made by many to evacuate Afghans who once
helped American forces -- and who now risk retribution from the Taliban: "
Afghans must learn to take responsibility for their own country and stop
blaming the US and allies for their problems. But please US and allies get
the persons who worked for you out of the country, if they wish to. Send as
many planes as needed. No excuse to leave them behind!!"
Meanwhile, Kari in Finland objected to comparisons between the US evacuation
from Afghanistan and the fall of Saigon. "There has been NO 'blitzkrieg' in
Afghanistan. The 'army' and 'security' units have not offered resistance at
all. Krieg means war — there is no krieg against Taliban. They just drive
from city to city waving their flags and guns. There has been no serious
fighting! ... Nothing like Saigon."
Alex lamented Washington's lost credibility as a champion of democracy. "It
is a sad day for the USA. After years and years of lies to their own people
and wrapping them selves in the flags and the patriotic jargon which was
nothing short of outright lies. Now the foreign diplomacy of the US is in
tatters."
And it all boils down to America's poor timing for Sue, who wrote: "The
original purpose -- to take care of those who were responsible for the
attack on this nation in September 2001 -- ended with the elimination of the
one who ordered the hit: Osama Ben Laden. That is when troop withdrawals
should have begun."
Schadenfreude
'Another historic Washington experiment'
"With horror, the world is watching the result of another historic
Washington experiment," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova
posted Sunday on Facebook as the Taliban marched on the Afghan capital. To
drive her point home, Zakharova posted an excerpt of a news conference given
by US President Joe Biden just over a month ago, when he was asked if a
Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was inevitable.
"No, it is not," Biden replied.
"Judge for yourself," Zakharova wrote. |
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