How about a re-invasion of Afghanistan?

August 25, 2021 30 Comments

Despite Americans’ fabulously short memories, Joe Biden’s presidency is riding on his ability to do what he sort-of promised by August 31.

President Joe Biden explains his policy

And that was, unquestionably, the evacuation of all Americans who want to leave the hellhole of Afghanistan, plus the desire to rescue Afghans a) who worked with us, and whom we owe, and b) enlightened Afghans who like modernity and don’t want to live in a medieval state.

I don’t see how Biden can get everyone out in time, even allowing for his vague wording about helping the Afghans.

Vague might be the title of his Afghan policy.

In a week that saw his approval rate drop like the Phillies playoff hopes, his narrative of how things were going was contradicted within hours by others on his team. The question is was he misinformed, or stupid, or lying?

The Taliban may be relied on to allow Americans to leave. If they don’t, they will have thousands of hostages. While some Republicans thunder about America having the greatest military force in the world — and we do — what general will call for an attack if It results in the beheading of American civilians?

The threat of dead Americans is one reason Iran got away with holding American hostages for 444 days. 

In a greatly delayed news announcement Tuesday afternoon, foreign policy idiot savant Biden talked about the need for speed because airport operations are being threatened by something called ISIS-K.

That sounds like a breakfast cereal, but they are (in the words of the hapless president who opened the surrender talks with the Taliban) bad hombres. Most Americans wanted to get out of Afghanistan. None wanted to leave this way, in a cloud of incompetence.

Biden acknowledged the Taliban were cooperating with our efforts to remove Americans.

However, the Taliban said they would not allow Afghans to leave, and that they would not extend the August 31 deadline for U.S. withdrawal. That was the deadline Biden himself chose.

That date is a “red line, ” the Taliban said. Breaking it would have consequences.

Are they threatening us? Yes. Why? They have the upper hand.

What happens if not all Americans have been removed by then? Biden said he had contingency plans. That’s what he said about the Taliban takeover. Not a confidence builder.

Let’s say we get all of our countrymen out, but not the Afghans, Will we start a war to rescue them?

How would America feel about a re-invasion? How would you feel about a re-invasion? How many allies would join us and how long would it take to mount?

The alternative (assuming we don’t bribe the Taliban into changing their minds) is to abandon our faithful and luckless Afghan helpers, making (another) stain on America’s honor.

This is not the worst case scenario. 

It is the most likely scenario based on current facts. If the cards fall this way, it will spell the end of the Biden-Harris administration, even though the election is more than three years away. 

30 thoughts on “How about a re-invasion of Afghanistan?”

  1. Incompetency at the highest levels. The Secretary of Defense and Head of the Joint Chiefs should be
    told by Biden to resign or fired. Regardless of what this administration feels or what people think we are
    the POLICEMAN of the world. We have troops all over the world and we should have left troops there. It is a strategic area. It is better to fight terrorism over there than in our own backyards. Biden is an arrogant old man. He has been in politics so long and feels he is right and be damned what anyone else thinks.

    1. I agree we should have remained, but we are in a minority. In a unique moment of unity, both Left and Right wanted out, for different reasons.

  2. From people that I know that live in Delaware, their words to me are he always has and always will have “Shyt for brains”. If he wasn’t part of the political good old boys club he be totally lost. I worry for my kids, I worry for the country more now than at any other point in my 60 years

    1. Nunzio….just to add to your comments…for the last 40 years, since Biden got into the Federal scene, he was always known around this area as the (Delaware) Village Idiot. Nothing has changed.

  3. This is the biggest travesty of my lifetime. Whatever happened to the strong and honorable USA that fought for the rights and liberties of all people…how can we keep bowing the the autocratic and repressive regimes of those like the Taliban and China?!
    I am praying and praying for those that are stranded by the Taliban, both Afghans others alike.

    And why aren’t we holding China responsible for the global crisis that they created with Covid????

  4. Stu – as noted in your last sentence, regarding the longevity of this administration….I agree with you – I don’t think it’s going to last another 3.5 years, practically speaking. And there’s no way Harris can carry it on her own, in my humble opinion.

      1. OK – let me clarify…I don’t think Biden will last mentally another 3.5 years, and if Harris has to take over for some reason, she doesn’t really have “the right stuff” to be Prez. I hope nothing happens during this period, for everyone’s sake, but more bad moves by Biden will doom him and those around him, regardless whether it’s sooner or later (2024).

    2. Except Randy he’s now the VIP, the Village Idiot President. And it pains me to say that.

  5. HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!!
    Well, my fellow sheep, we really screwed ourselves this time !
    Counting back to Korea. We have not won a war. A truce, or withdrawal is the same as a defeat. True, wars are about politics. Somebody wants something that belongs to someone else and the battle begins. The political side is when the bureaucrats from both sides, sit down and hash out the details of a ‘friendly’ truce.
    Our Washington geniuses think that we can go into any country and convert it to capitalism, or at least a puppet country to the USA. Sorry boys and girls. Them days are long gone. It used to work back in the ’30s in South America. It hasn’t worked anywhere that Islam is a ruling religion.
    Our money goes into these countries and our politics are right behind. PRESTO ! another war. Vietnam was a political war over the drugs. Afghanistan – the same. The Russians didn’t fare well and obviously, neither are we.
    So, here we are, the American public. Our heads are in the proverbial sand and we do as we are told. We believe what we are told to believe. Politics is determined to destroy our country.
    We know that terrorism is all over the world. We could police the countries that really ask for help. We can defend against an enemy that is intent on destroying us, the USA. Again, politics.
    Mostly, we have to come to a conclusion about our political beliefs. Do we follow the constitution or do we fold up and become a huge dark mess. Elections are on the horizon. Can we actually get more than 50 % of the voting public to show up at the polls and clean house ? You all should know my thoughts by now.
    DRAIN THE SWAMP ! and VOTE THEM ALL OUT !
    Tony

      1. HAPPY FRIDAY !!!
        I haven’t been to Indonesia, therefore, I don’t believe everything that I have read.
        The people that I know who have been to Indonesia are for the most part, executives in the business world. They don’t use the ‘democratic’ when discussing that country.
        Their constitutional set up has similarities to our constitution. They do have multiple branches of government and like us, some of it breaks down to regional ( states ). They have a few more political parties than us, and it all remains to be seen, considering the ‘revamping’ of Indonesia not so long ago.
        Because of their geographic location, they are multi everything. Speech, religion, etc.
        As for me being a pessimist. I have been know to subscribe to that church. Much more than optimism, because of the places I have been and the things that I have seen. Unlike 90% of you that have never been anywhere for any amount of time doing anything other than vacationing, I went the other route. I have been to these places for the most part, because I have been sent there. Either work related or government related.
        Tony

        1. I am pessimistic by nature, but believe in trust but verify. By normal world standards, Indonesia is democratic, but I don’t plan to debate it.

  6. One error, Stu. It was Trump who started peace talks with the Taliban last year. SecState Pompeo met with the head of the Taliban in Doha (the Afghan national government wasn’t invited. Shows what we thought of them).

    1. You missed this line:
      That sounds like a breakfast cereal, but they are (in the words of the hapless president who opened the surrender talks with the Taliban) bad hombres.

      The hapless president is Trump, of course.

  7. It’s been said that he’s been on the wrong side of of every foreign policy decision for 40 years. He’s is proving the statement is correct.

  8. Imagine yourself in Kabul. Imagine watching the airport gate closing in front of you. I can’t. Then imagine your one of the American Soldiers closing the gate.
    There are no words! God help us!

  9. Let’s have a safe as possible exodus from Afghanistan. We should use our military’s intelligence apparatus along with our allies resources and military might to accomplish this mission. It is a mess and hundreds of lives will be lost in achieving our exit. But a re-invasion in the long term will not be successful. Building a democracy in Afghanistan is a dead end. For a democracy to succeed the citizenship must understand and accept the rule of law. The citizenship must accept the rights of other citizens (freedom of Religion, freedom of speech, etc). The vast majority of afghan citizens are not educated or understand respect of the laws in a democratic republic. Shira law is what is understood and accepted by the ruling class. We can’t change the minds of people who don’t want to change. Let’s close the door and watch China fail in their attempts to modernize Afghanistan.

  10. 1. Who exactly are these Americans that chose to live in the a-hole of the world?
    2. When Trump cut his deal with the Taliban last year, that should be been a warning to them to at least plan to GTFO.
    3. When Biden abandoned Bagram earlier this year, that should have been an even bigger warning to GTFO
    4. Don’t tell me that they didn’t know the risks they were taking on by living there. Why do we need to send our soldiers, marines and airmen there to rescue them from their own choices?

    I say “no” to any re-invasion to rescue anyone but troops, who don’t have a say over where they’re deployed.

  11. What was the first thing Sherlock Holmes said to Dr. Watson when Stamford introduced them a century and a half ago in the opening pages of “A Study in Scarlet”? Observing the doctor’s damaged physical state, Holmes observed, “You have been in Afghanistan, I perceive.” Indeed, “the graveyard of empires.” Let’s not go back in there. It’s China’s turn to follow Britain, Russia and us in deeply going in there, if they’ve a mind to. If there’s internal resistance to the Taliban, we can support it from the outside. (And, btw, Trump is no more responsible for this Bagram and billions in equipment military-first departure debacle than he is for “Defunding the Police.”)

  12. As I watched “Operation Cut and Run” unfolding, I held my breath waiting for the REALLY bad news. Its came today, with two suicide bombers blowing themselves (and others) to bits for Allah. Shame on the USA, not for leaving but for HOW it is leaving. Go back? To what end? STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST. The only time we should ever to back there is if and when Israel needs help. The question is, would Israel trust us to stay and help.

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