Quote Originally Posted by Moveon View Post
Trump signed a deal with the Taliban to pull the US troops out of Afghanistan. Biden is doing what Trump wanted. So why blame this on Biden. Blame it on Trump. He is the one that started all this mess and didn't have a good plan to get us out of there. Now I do think that Biden should have waited until he had a better plan but the clock was already ticking.
Not blaming. Commanders are responsible for all they do or Fail to do. Given last president started the ball moving, new guy gets to decide to continue or stop. He decided to continue, his call, and I support that. The essence then becomes the execution of the paln. A good plan poorly executed falls below expectations. I think part of the issue was that the Talibon needed more strongly reminded why it is they needed to honor their agreements with us. A couple A-10's, or AC 130's would have provided doorstep delivery of those reminders most effectively.

I think what caused most of the issue during withdrawal was the over emphasis on a deadline date. Ya never telegraph your intent to an enemy. You tell the bad guys we will leave when its safe for us to do so and we will knock the stuffings out of you if you harm and american while we do it. Why you set that stage of strength you then quietly get people out so that the last thing to go is announced after the fact. JMHO.

All that said and being fair, we were supported by the Afghan Army that just gave up. And they did so partly because they felt unsupported, but partly also because they never did fully assue the responsibility for defending thier own country and country men. Given that variable, it may have been just as much a mess under either leader.

If I am president today, then all that happens or fails to happen is my responsibility to make good.