[AND Magazine] In 2001, We went into Afghanistan to destroy a terrorist safe haven and drive Al Qaida from that nation. Al Qaeda had blown up two of our embassies, almost sunk a U.S. Navy destroyer, and flown planes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Thousands of Americans had been killed.We succeeded brilliantly. With relative handfuls of men on the ground, we crushed the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden had to flee for his life to Pakistan.
Then we lost our way.
We spent twenty years trying to turn Afghanistan into ’Switzerland in Central Asia’. We paved roads, built schools and tried to teach Afghans about gender equality and liberal democracy. We lost focus, squandered blood and treasure, and made federal contractors rich.
We could have stopped, rationalized our approach, remembered why we were there and moved ahead. We did not. Under the direction of Joe Biden -easily the worst President in American history - we fled. We handed over billions in advanced weapons to Islamic jihadist thugs, abandoned our friends and allies, and flew away.
Ever since the Biden administration has attempted to paper over the debacle with vague assurances that somehow our national security is not negatively impacted. "Al Qaida is gone. The Taliban want only to be left alone. The threat is minimal."