The Latest from Afghanistan: August 31 Deadline Looms, Taliban Warns Against Extending It

Evacuations continue but advisors are urging Biden to extend the August 31 deadline. The Taliban has warned staying past August will “provoke a reaction.”


Summary

The Taliban are closer to full control of Afghanistan, retaking three northern provinces while Western nations have airlifted nearly 60,000 individuals over the past 10 days.

 

reporting from the left side of the aisle

 

  • The Washington Post reported on the “mounting global pressure” the Biden administration is under to extend its mission past August 31, which will force other Western nations to pull out if it is not prolonged.
  • CNN’s Chris Cillizza attempted to justify Biden’s Afghanistan policy by arguing his “bet” that Americans won’t care about it by the time of the next election.
  • Slate reported on a top military officer under Presidents Bush and Obama who backed a “nation-building” mission now having a change of heart and admitting Biden “got it right” in 2009 when as Vice President he advocated for a more limited mission in Afghanistan.

 

 

Author’s Take

The Afghanistan debacle is an example of elite institutions failing us. With respect to foreign policy, Biden declared “America is back” and that “the adults are back in the room”, yet their clever machinations and feeble attempts at geopolitical chess have yielded nothing but disaster.


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© Dallas Gerber, 2021