It has been one year since the disastrous troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
You will remember that the withdrawal, under the order of President Biden, resulted in the deaths of over a dozen U.S. military members and countless Afghan citizens, many of which were American military allies. The withdrawal also ended with billions of dollars worth of military equipment in the hands of the Taliban and full Taliban control of the country.
The scene in Kabul during the withdrawal was heartbreaking. Afghan citizens risked clinging onto the outside of military aircrafts to leave the country. Mothers handed soldiers their babies to take to America. It was a humanitarian crisis that still continues to this day. It also was an embarrassment to this country’s foreign policy “experts.”
The United States’ failure to control the situation started a domino effect across the globe. With our country being unable to draw clear red lines, our adversaries have taken advantage of our cowardice. The result? Military aggression across the world.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine was directly correlated with our failures in Afghanistan. Russia would not have invaded Ukraine had it characterized the U.S. as more competent and threatening. The withdraw exampled weakness on the world stage. It is for the same reasons that China has increased their aggression towards Taiwan. China watched the United States abandon Afghanistan after promising to bring stability to the region. Now, China may call the U.S.’s bluff on its promise to support Taiwan. This rings more true this last week as the White House has backtracked its support of a free and independent Taiwan.
The next country that will likely take care of our country’s foreign policy indecisiveness will be Iran. Iran, which is seeking to ramp up its nuclear program, may be less willing to work with the U.S. and the United Nations for a new deal to postpone its nuclear program.
The point is this: the world continually pays attention to the strength and tone of the United States. When our country is perceived as weak, the rest of the world takes advantage; our enemies become emboldened and our allies become disheartened. For these reasons, it is always important to elect leaders who will be firm, decisive, and willing to protect American interests around the world.
