U.S. forces could only obscure Afghanistan’s failures, not fix them

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 13, 2021
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org

WASHINGTON, DC—As the Taliban gains momentum in Afghanistan, the Biden administration ordered the evacuation of most personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. Defense Priorities Senior Fellow and Military Expert Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis, USA, Ret. issued the following statement in response:

“The partial evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul is an unfortunate but common-sense step to protect U.S. diplomats and staff. The Biden administration deserves credit for prioritizing the safety of U.S. personnel and continuing to implement its withdrawal plans despite the pressure to change its position.

“The intensifying violence of Afghanistan’s civil war over the last week, and the weakening of Afghan security forces, is more evidence Washington’s 20-year nation-building project there was a tragic mistake. Americans naturally appalled by the scenes from Afghanistan should remember that U.S. forces could only obscure Afghanistan’s failures, not fix them. We should focus our ire not on the U.S. leaders who finally accepted reality, but on the bipartisan parade of leaders who long assured us we were winning.”

Author

Daniel
Davis

Senior Fellow & Military Expert

Defense Priorities