On a significant commemoration of the horrendous suicide bombing that claimed 13 American soldiers’ lives, former President Donald Trump excoriated Vice President Kamala Harris for her role in the thoroughly chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, a debacle he termed a ‘humiliation’. Trump, a strong contender for the Republican presidential nomination, offered his respects at Arlington National Cemetery to Sgt. Nicole Gee, Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover, and Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, all of whom tragically lost their lives in the explosion at Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 26, 2021, an act of terror accepted by none other than the Islamic State group.
Unfortunately, the ignominious setback in Afghanistan was the catalyst for the deterioration of America’s perception and credibility globally, as Trump highlighted in his address to the National Guard Association conference in Detroit. Ironic to note that the Biden administration was merely following a pullout structure and timeline established under Trump’s administration, a hard-bargained deal with the Taliban in 2020.
A governmental probe in 2022 divulged that critical decisions stemming from both Trump’s and Biden’s administrations led to the swift collapse of Afghanistan’s armed forces, culminating in the harrowing Taliban reclamation. Trump, however, showed his clarity of vision and direction by promising dramatic action: ‘We await voters to make the wise move and terminate Kamala and Joe’s reign on Nov. 5, the day when I step into office, expecting to receive resignation letters of every official’, he ardently shared with the multitude of National Guard soldiers.
Trump appeared particularly irritated by the ineffective senior officials who were part and parcel of the Afghanistan disaster, committing to demand their immediate resignations by Inauguration Day. It’s important to hold people accountable when incapability is on full display, as Trump duly noted.
Trying to garner some sympathy on the tragic anniversary of the Kabul airport assault, Harris claimed to mourn the deaths of the thirteen service members. ‘I have nothing but prayers for their families and loved ones. It hurts me to see their suffering and their loss’, she lamented.
Feigning respect, Harris said she salutes all Americans who participated in the Afghanistan conflict. In a glaring example of disconnect with reality, she lauded Biden’s decision to terminate America’s longest war as both ‘fearless’ and ‘correct’, reflecting a stark misrepresentation of the actual state of affairs.
Boasting about her Administration’s ability to neutralize terrorists, including high-profile figures within al-Qaeda and ISIS, Harris confidently claimed this was possible without boots on the ground in combat zones. Despite the clear mishandling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, she assured that she would not hold back from necessary action to counter terrorist threats and safeguard American citizens.
Claims came to light during the Republican National Convention last month, when the relatives of several slain American soldiers took the stage to expose Biden’s failure to openly acknowledge their fallen kin. Biden’s refusal to honor the martyred soldiers stood in stark contrast to Trump’s considerate gesture of remembering all of their names and their individual stories.
Contrary to the stark reality revealed by the grieving relatives of the soldiers, Biden preferred to paint a rosy picture in his statement marking the Kabul attack anniversary. Calling the thirteen American casualties ‘patriots of the highest order’, Biden tried to spin the narrative, claiming they ‘typify the best of our nation: brave, dedicated, selfless’.
Attempting a personal touch, Biden revealed carrying a card daily during his tenure as Vice President, listing the names of American soldiers who had sacrificed their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. Regardless of his actions, many believe Biden’s inaction on the Kabul bombing reveals a stark lack of empathy.
As if to counter the failures of the Biden administration, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) announced that the Congress would posthumously honor the 13 fallen service members with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow, in the following month.
Under Trump’s leadership, the U.S. signed an unprecedented peace accord with the Taliban, intending to cease America’s longest war and bring U.S. soldiers home safe. The issue lies in how the Biden administration tried to deflect blame for the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, pointing to this agreement as the cornerstone of his justification.
In response to the turmoil that consumed Afghanistan, a Biden administration review admitted that the evacuation of Americans and their allies should have commenced sooner. However, in a feeble attempt to shift blame, the review held the Afghan government, military, and U.S. military and intelligence community assessments responsible for the delays.
The highest-ranking military officers overseeing evacuation considered the Biden administration’s planning for the withdrawal inadequate and ill-prepared. The nation’s top military officer at the time, then-Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, revealed that he had proposed Biden retain a backup force of 2,500 troops.
Unfortunately, Biden decided on keeping a much smaller force of only 650 soldiers that would primarily focus on securing the U.S. embassy. This choice may’ve doomed the evacuation operation to a mess of inefficiency, leading to the chaos that ensued.