On January 19, 2017, I took an oath of office to serve as senior White House advisor at the U.S. Department of State. At the time the world seemed to have been set on fire with ISIS running rampant through the mid-East. President Trump provided very clear direction: defeat ISIS. This involved bringing the world’s leaders together and asking them all to commit more to the fight, empowering our military leaders to make swift decisions about how to obliterate ISIS military installments while working with partners on the ground to roll back their advances. We then worked with leaders in the region to successfully regain control and push back against any new advances. This was done without a permanent expansion of America’s military presence on the ground because we would not entangle America and its brave service members in another permanent conflict.
As I watched reports come out about the fall of Afghanistan this weekend, I couldn’t help but think: It didn’t have to be this way.
Years of careful negotiations and hard work made it possible for America to finally bring nearly every troop home from Afghanistan by the end of 2021, 20 years after we started operations there. In a mere 6 months, because of the sheer incompetency of the Biden administration, they have squandered trillions of dollars and years of work by a ham-handed withdrawal. Failure is evident by the fact that Joe Biden ended up sending more troops into Afghanistan just this weekend than were present prior to announcing a withdrawal earlier this year.
What could have been done? First, Joe Biden needed to follow a timeline based on reality – not political pressure. Second, the U.S drawdown of troops should have never taken place during summer’s peak fighting season. Third, we should have ensured that all U.S. equipment on the ground was destroyed before the Taliban took it over. Fourth, we should not have abandoned Bagram Air Base, a central hub in the entire region for the U.S. military, where we could have kept a small operational footprint to assist the Afghan army.
Instead, we are watching in horror as Afghanistan falls under the grip of the Taliban, creating a massive – and avoidable – national security threat for the entire world. I am also deeply pained thinking about the great humanitarian crisis for Afghanistan’s women and children that is unfolding.
Let’s be honest: the complex challenges of our modern world are evading Joe Biden in his twilight years. But I would offer that it’s not only the president’s weak leadership from the top that has caused this breakdown, I believe it is also the people with whom he has chosen to surround himself.
When we got to the State Department, there was clearly a permanent class of “experts” that had always done things the old way and looked down on the newcomers under President Trump with scorn. These cocktail circuit regulars endeared themselves to the Washington media with gossip and leaks. President Trump’s strength cut through the noise, whereas President Biden’s apathy and confusion has put these people back in charge.
The fall of Afghanistan should be a reminder to all Americans of the dangers that America faces without strong leadership. May God bless our troops.