FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
August 16, 2021
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org
WASHINGTON, DC—Today, President Biden addressed the nation during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Defense Priorities Senior Fellow Lt. Col. Daniel L. Davis issued the following statement in response:
“President Biden is right—continuing to commit U.S. troops in the middle of someone else’s civil war is simply not in the U.S. national interest. Despite spending nearly $90 billion building an Afghan security force, the Taliban were able to capture Kabul without firing a shot. To expect one more year to accomplish what 20 years have not is naïve.
“The U.S. should continue expediting the departure of U.S. citizens and ensure Afghans who helped the U.S. military are taken care of. However regrettable the scenes in Kabul are today, ending the failed 20-year nation building campaign remains the only logical course.”
Defense Priorities report: Exiting Afghanistan
Defense Priorities explainer: Scenarios for a post-U.S. Afghanistan
Defense Priorities explainer: Now is the optimal time to exit Afghanistan