President Biden is privately defiant that he made the right calls on Afghanistan in 2021 despite the U.S. military's chaotic exit, according to an upcoming book obtained by Axios.Why it matters: Biden believes history will look kindly on his decision to end the two-decade war — America's longest — even though it came at an enormous political cost to Biden, whose polling numbers have never recovered from the fallout.
13 U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing outside Kabul's airport as the U.S. evacuated. In all, more than 2,400 U.S. service members died in Afghanistan during the war, and more than 20,000 were wounded.
After Afghanistan, "no one offered to resign, in large part because the president didn't believe anyone had made a mistake. Ending the war was always going to be messy," Politico's Alexander Ward writes in "The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore Foreign Policy After Trump."
Driving the news: After Afghanistan, "no one offered to resign, in large part because the president didn't believe anyone had made a mistake. Ending the war was always going to be messy," Politico's Alexander Ward writes in "The Internationalists: The Fight to Restore Foreign Policy After Trump."
"Biden told his top aides, [National Security Advisor Jake] Sullivan included, that he stood by them and they had done their best during a tough situation.""There wasn't even a real possibility of a shake-up," a White House official told Ward.
The intrigue: The book provides fresh reporting and vivid scenes on the Biden team's decisions to exit Afghanistan — and the internal fights along the way.
@BipartisanAvaNo Labels3mos3MO
List of mistakes Biden made in relation to the withdrawal from Afghanistan:
-Telegraphing an exact withdrawal date to the Taliban, who had been closing in on Kabul for over a year.
-Tightening rules of engagement so much that a Marine sniper who had positive identification on the bomber who killed 13 troops was never given authorization to take the shot.
-Pulling all US support for the Afghan National Army months before the withdrawal.
-Choosing political optics over tactical and strategic soundness by withdrawing from the middle of Kabul instead of the remote fortress of Bagram airfield… Read more
@PragmaticDickRepublican3mos3MO
If something is done intentionally, and the person responsible could have and should have expected the eventual result, and that person does not regret said result, can you still call them mistakes?
@R3volutionUnicornGreen3mos3MO
who created the Taliban's army?
@Bl4ckBallotSteveRepublican3mos3MO
I don't thank bad employees. I fire them.
I am not thankful for a narcissistic lying currpt politician whose every major decision screwed the American people.
I am not thankful that this senile old puppet pervert president was installed to cut the Keystone pipeline, halt American energy production, halt the sale of natural gas, surrender weapons, armaments, and American lives to the terrorist Taliban in a catastrophic debacle of surrender. I am not thankful that Biden is doing nothing to prevent more American deaths from fentynl than 2 world wars in 2 years.
I am not thankful for a corrupt control freak running our good country filled with good people into the dirt.
@BipartisanAvaNo Labels3mos3MO
"Sir the special counsel's report is bad. There are questions regarding your age and mental fitness to handle the job and another four years."
"I know, let's remind them how well the Afghanistan withdrawal went."
@Bl4ckBallotSteveRepublican3mos3MO
I wonder if it occurs to anyone in the White House that giving up our strategic positions to both east and west of Iran is why they are so emboldened around the world right now
@PretzelsTaylorPatriot3mos3MO
13 marine families disagree
@9JYWL3X3mos3MO
It was a poor, messy withdrawal altogether, characterised with a lack of planning. The arguments he made were decent, but in the end, the main priority should have been the safety of the soldiers.
@9JYWDDHPeace and Freedom3mos3MO
I think Biden should stay in the US.
@P4rtisanBobbyConstitution3mos3MO
Bidens weakness and surrender in Afghanistan is what emboldened Putin to invade Ukraine.
@RightsMonkeyRepublican3mos3MO
I guess if you have a terrible plan and execute perfectly, you can say things went according to plan. Was General Mc Kenzie interviewed?
I'm sure he doesn't, because he doesn't remember.
@RiceMackenzieGreen3mos3MO
Yeah that's how this administration works. The massively screw up. They lie about it, and blame anyone but themselves. Then the press lies for them to convince voters.
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