The Issue: The deteriorating situation in Afghanistan as troops try to evacuate Americans and US allies.
Because President Biden and his top military advisers lacked the foresight to see the obvious Taliban reaction to a quick American military withdrawal, the mission to rescue all Americans just got exponentially more difficult (“Evacu-wait!” Aug. 20).
We are in a worse position tactically than 20 years ago. Biden has given a group of mountain rebels their own country and a well-equipped army.
Seeing photos of Taliban fighters driving American-made Humvees and carrying American-made weapons is exceedingly frustrating to all veterans who served there.
Ed Buttimore
Cedar Grove, NJ
With the withdrawal of US and NATO resources from Afghanistan, the already impoverished nation will most likely descend into a failed state, as the Taliban will focus on ruling and not on governance.
The outlook for the Afghans is grim.
Ed Houlihan
Ridgewood, NJ
Gen. Omar Bradley is often quoted as saying: “Amateurs talk strategy. Professionals talk logistics.”
I think the problems at the moment in Afghanistan are primarily logistical in nature. Being a former USMC Logistics Officer makes this hit home hard.
US Army Lt. Gen. William Pagonis, the brilliant mind behind the Gulf War logistics effort, would have never allowed such a debacle to occur on his watch. We can do so much better than this.
Sean Coughlin
Acton, Mass.
Alas, history repeats itself. Afghanistan is another Vietnam. The devil is in the details.
After years of deadly battles, we lost the causes: Today communism rules over Vietnam, and Taliban terrorism overtakes Afghanistan.
Yet President Richard Nixon’s retreat in ceasing the undeclared Vietnam War and bringing home our American troops was welcome.
To blame President Biden is unjustified. Lay the blame at the beginning, not at the end. It was President George W. Bush’s decision to start another war.
Susan Marie Davniero
Lindenhurst
In general, the explanation for leaving Afghanistan is justified by some version of the following: We spent so many billions in Afghanistan and lost so many thousands of soldiers. Enough is enough. Bring the troops home.
But the lost lives and money spent cannot be retrieved. No American lives have been lost in the past year and a half. The situation was stable. The Taliban were at bay. There was no “endless war,” and the status quo should have been maintained.
We have had thousands of troops stationed in Japan, Germany, South Korea and elsewhere for decades in order to maintain peace, and it is reasonable to expect that leaving 2,500 or so American and many allied troops in Afghanistan would accomplish the same.
Arthur Copeland
Stamford, Conn.
The Afghanistan mess shines a bright light on the ineptitude of big government.
The backward withdrawal from Afghanistan makes it clear when politicians with zero experience in war make critical decisions. What a mess.
Paul J. Schettino
Hopewell Junction
Our illustrious president has let down this country again.
Thank God I am not an Afghan who helped our country and helped save our troop’s lives for 20 years.
Biden not only left our comrades in Afghanistan to fend for themselves, he left our citizens there, told them to hunker down and try to make their way to the airport. He had no plan in place to get our people out. Are they supposed to call a Taliban Uber for a ride to the airport?
John Natale
Long Beach
The general consensus that it was the right choice to withdraw from Afghanistan and to let the Taliban take over was wishful thinking.
After World War II we de-Nazified Germany and Japan. That is what had to be done in Afghanistan, instead of turning it over to Taliban terrorists.
Gamaliel Isaac
Manhattan
Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to [email protected]. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy and style.