The Taliban overran Afghanistan in August 2021 as the former Western-backed government in Kabul collapsed with surprising speed and the last US troops withdrew.
President Joe Biden’s administration has released a
summary of after-action reports on the US’ chaotic withdrawal
from Afghanistan that laid blame on his predecessor Donald
Trump, saying “there were no signs that more time, more funds or
more Americans” could have fundamentally changed the trajectory.
The 12-page document acknowledged that the administration
learned lessons from the withdrawal, and now errs on the side of “aggressive communication” about risks in a destabilized
security environment.
Biden inherited a depleted operation in Afghanistan from
Trump that crippled its response, John Kirby, the National
Security Council spokesperson, told reporters in a press conference
on Thursday.
“Transitions matter. That’s the first lesson learned
here. And the incoming administration wasn’t afforded much of
one,” Kirby said. Biden was left with a stark choice – withdraw
all US forces, or resume fighting with the Taliban.
READ MORE: US Republicans begin investigating botched Afghanistan troop withdrawal
‘Deliberate degradation’
The report points to “deliberate degradation” by the Trump
administration – an accusation that Kirby said refers to the
drawdown of US troops ahead during Trump’s time in office, the
release of thousands of Taliban prisoners, the negotiation of
the “Doha agreement” to end the war without the local government
and the virtual freezing of an Afghan visa programme.
The Taliban overran Afghanistan in August 2021 as the
former Western-backed government in Kabul collapsed with
surprising speed and the last US troops withdrew.
Under
Biden’s Republican predecessor Trump, the US made a deal with
the Taliban to withdraw all American forces.
“America is on a stronger strategic footing more capable to support Ukraine and to meet our security commitments around the world, as well as the competition with China, because it is not fighting a ground war in Afghanistan,” Kirby said.
READ MORE: Soldiers say fall of Kabul was US failure with blame touching Bush to Biden
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
Biden blames Trump for chaotic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan
Source: News Achor Trending
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