Biden fails Afghanistan; Leaves Asia in lurch
People hanging from the wings of a plane moving on the runway, city after city falling to Taliban forces, a country in yet another convulsion and America decides to look the other way.
Joe Biden could not have been more of a failure in his hurry to have ordered a withdrawal of troops after 20 years of occupation of a country which is thousands of miles away from its territory.
The US knows exactly what the presence of a marauding Taliban in Afghanistan can do to the region. A repressive Islamic regime crushing the aspirations of the normal people within the country, a refugee situation in neighbouring nations and a restive Asian balance with everyone from India to China, not to mention Pakistan, worried over the fallout of a radical Islamic regime on its borders.
Inside a US transport taking off from Kabul. Extraordinary. pic.twitter.com/rAAeFb2QQb
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) August 16, 2021
For Biden how is a wild East his problem? But can he even afford to ask such a question at all? After all, US decided to invade far away Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. For 20 long years, it has battled within Afghanistan to keep the Taliban at bay.
The Osama Bin Laden days may be long over but for all the time spent in Afghanistan, and lost so many marines to them, Biden has the moral responsibility to deal with the consequences of such an un-thought out and speedy withdrawal to those very people of Afghanistan that it had talked of protecting fro two decades while on a hunt for Laden.
TW: Disturbing images
A US military plane took off from Kabul airport with desperate locals still clinging to the aircraft. At least two people died after falling from the sky. pic.twitter.com/tQPK6UzmiF
— DW News (@dwnews) August 16, 2021
How does it matter to America if Afghanistan is ready to implode and explode? Well, Osama may be dead but the Taliban has many leaders in the making who, in no time, will get tot heir ultimate target – that of downing the capital of Christianity, capitalism, free thought and westernisation – good old America.
Also, America like now and Russia like then have made Afghanistan what it is today. And onus of restoring some amount of peace in the county lies on them. Otherwise, the National Geographic covers on mutilated women in mind and body will continue to vie for Pulitzer prizes as Biden will inevitably bide his time for a revived Taliban threat flying all the away across the Atlantic.
Last but not the least, one can only shudder to think about the plight of the women in such an oppressive ultra conservative puritanical regime!