Biden pulling out of Afghanistan

[Hestia]

Biden is set to confirm that the US will be pulling all service members out of Afghanistan by Sept. 11 of this year. It is slightly past the May deadline set by the Trump administration (that was likely set just to tie up the incoming Biden administration). After this long, I think it's pretty clear to all involved that we weren't going to get out of this the way that anyone 'wanted'. Glad that we're getting out of Afghanistan this year. A bit surprising coming from Biden, but glad. 

https://www.axios.com/biden-afghanistan-troops-withdrawal-3ba52fdb-1354-4c7d-9fca-bf956ca70d00.html

[Rodja]

It was well past the time to do this!Afghans must be in "Bye Felicia!" mood right now.We should really start withdrawing our troops from most places,and stop invading countries!Only reasons for military intervention are when our allies are attacked or to prevent genocide.Period.

[Rezi]

From past experiences, I doubt that it'll actually happen. I don't trust the administration enough to actually go through with this. However, if he does, it'll be a huge win for the Biden Administration. Someone needs to rip off the bandaid of Afghanistan and the sooner, the better.

[WVProgressive]

Thank god! Now it becomes a question of if the administration will actually follow through with this. I hope they do, as nothing good has come from American intervention in Afghanistan for the past two decades now.

[pilight]

I heard all this four years ago.  I also heard it eight years before that.  Both times it was swiftly followed by an increase in the number of troops there and then a gradual reduction.

The US mission in Afghanistan has never been clearly defined.  Nobody knows what a US win there would entail.  The entire operation has been a pointless waste of lives and resources.

[DakotaHale]

Biden said this in 2014 and didn’t follow through. If he did do this I think it would be as big of a milestone as Trumps Middle East peace deals. 

I also think it’s interesting to note that Trump had May 1st as the date to remove troops from Afghanistan but Biden pushed it back to Sept. 11 for weird sentimental reasons. Also I think it’s worth giving Trump credit for the fact that on average he had as many troops in the Middle East as Obama-Biden had during the lowest levels of his presidency which is impressive considering he had military wins with ISIS (basically eliminated under his Presidency), Soleimani, etc. 

[Edouard]

On 4/14/2021 at 9:09 PM, Rezi said:

From past experiences, I doubt that it'll actually happen. I don't trust the administration enough to actually go through with this. However, if he does, it'll be a huge win for the Biden Administration. Someone needs to rip off the bandaid of Afghanistan and the sooner, the better.

The US should be out of Afghanistan since autumn 2014

It's crazy how the country has remained in for so long without particular reasons

[Edouard]

I got heated debates with trumpists on it

Nigel Farage has been a supporter of Trump but for a limited time, why? Because Farage is an isolationnist, and Trump as president has took an interventionnist action

Yes he pulled troops out of Afghanistan, but he also increased the number of troops in Afghanistan prior to withdraw these, he mainly withdrew these for electoral purposes from the midterms up to the end of his presidency.

A lot of people, essentially on the right-wing side but also some on the left believe that Trump was a peacefull president because he did not start any wars, that does not change that he supported bloody civil wars and quadrupled bombardments.

[Hestia]

51 minutes ago, DakotaHale said:

I also think it’s interesting to note that Trump had May 1st as the date to remove troops from Afghanistan but Biden pushed it back to Sept. 11 for weird sentimental reasons. Also I think it’s worth giving Trump credit for the fact that on average he had as many troops in the Middle East as Obama-Biden had during the lowest levels of his presidency which is impressive considering he had military wins with ISIS (basically eliminated under his Presidency), Soleimani, etc. 

Trump put May 1st because he had no intention to actually do it - i.e he would be out of office. Biden has to actually deal with the real world ramifications of his actions.

[Hestia]

3 minutes ago, Patine said:

Also, Trump and the U.S. did NOT defeat ISIS (though Bush led to it's existence in the first place). Though the U.S. and some Western nations made airstrikes, military aid and advice, arms shipments, and some commando raids, the real fighting that wore down and defeated ISIS were other nations in the region (Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan, and various Persian Gulf States, as well as Nigeria, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and the Transitional Somali and Libyan Governments fighting it's far-flung self-proclaimed "loyal willaya - or provinces), as well as many non-nation militia forces, including Kurds, Assyrians, Yezhidis, the FSA, Shi'ite Iraqis, etc.). Coming in at the end and doing the coup de gras on the leader does mean you are THE nation that beat ISIS, flat out. Again, perspective and proportion, please. As for Soleimani, it's quite unfortunate you consider that a military "victory." A cowardly, despicable, honourless ruse to lure a general under flag of truce and then murder (yes, MURDER) him in a lowly, underhanded, and beneath contempt ploy is not something most with any integrity, courage, self-respect, or pride would call a military, "victory."

Agreed here. And then turning around and plunging a knife into the Kurds' back isn't what a 'victor' should do. 

[Dobs]

2 hours ago, Patine said:

Also, Trump and the U.S. did NOT defeat ISIS (though Bush led to it's existence in the first place). Though the U.S. and some Western nations made airstrikes, military aid and advice, arms shipments, and some commando raids, the real fighting that wore down and defeated ISIS were other nations in the region (Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Jordan, and various Persian Gulf States, as well as Nigeria, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Kenya, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and the Transitional Somali and Libyan Governments fighting it's far-flung self-proclaimed "loyal willaya - or provinces), as well as many non-nation militia forces, including Kurds, Assyrians, Yezhidis, the FSA, Shi'ite Iraqis, etc.). Coming in at the end and doing the coup de gras on the leader does mean you are THE nation that beat ISIS, flat out. Again, perspective and proportion, please. As for Soleimani, it's quite unfortunate you consider that a military "victory." A cowardly, despicable, honourless ruse to lure a general under flag of truce and then murder (yes, MURDER) him in a lowly, underhanded, and beneath contempt ploy is not something most with any integrity, courage, self-respect, or pride would call a military, "victory."

I agree with you and Hestia on Soleimani and the Kurds but I must say I literally laughed out loud when I read Sierra Leone and Kyrgyzstan did as much to defeat ISIS as the US. Sometimes I think you have a knee-jerk reaction to discredit everything the US does and give us absolutely zero credit whatsoever. Even when due.

[pilight]

11 hours ago, Edouard said:

The US should be out of Afghanistan since autumn 2014

It's crazy how the country has remained in for so long without particular reasons

The US should have been out of Afghanistan shortly after Operation Anaconda succeeded in accomplishing its stated mission in May of 2002