‘It’s all going to plan’: Biden defends US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Despite the horror America leaves behind, US President Joe Biden was clear: ‘I do not regret my decision.’ Those left to an uncertain fate in Kabul might feel differently.

Joe Biden was at pains on Tuesday to reassure the world that despite horrifying scenes of terrified Afghans clinging to departing US aircraft and plunging to their deaths over Kabul, everything was proceeding to plan.

Interrupting an August holiday at Camp David, the US President choppered back to the White House to deliver a brief mid-afternoon address to explain that the total collapse of the Afghan government to the Taliban “did unfold more quickly than we anticipated.”

As an understatement of the obvious it was up there with Emperor Hirohito conceding defeat in the Pacific with the words, “the war ­situation has developed not necessarily to Japan’s ­advantage”.

The US Air Force flight with 640 Afghans trying to flee the country. Picture: Defenseone.com

Washing America’s hands of the disaster, Biden continued his speech by blaming the Afghan people: “So what’s happened? Afghanistan political leaders gave up and fled the country. The Afghan military collapsed, sometimes without trying to fight.

“If anything, the developments of the past week reinforced that ending US military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision,” he said.

Despite the horror America leaves behind, Biden was clear: “I do not regret my decision.”

Those left behind might feel differently.

A few days ago a comedian who mocked the ­regime was tortured and ­murdered.

In the Afghan border city of Shir Khan Bandar, the Taliban has ordered local imams to provide lists of unmarried girls as young as 15 so they can be “married” off to Taliban commanders.

Stonings, amputations, and other barbaric punishments will soon be brought back by Islamic courts.

Afghan people climb atop a plane at Kabul’s airport. Picture: AFP

And, in a satanically whimsical touch, as 640 ­escaping Afghans jammed onto an American C-17 Globemaster meant to carry 134, Taliban soldiers occupying Kabul were seen marvelling at the dodge-’em cars in a local amusement park.

Observers of the situation universally put the calamity down to Biden’s refusal to keep a minimal military presence — as few as 3000 troops — in the country to maintain what was, to be sure, a fragile peace.

Instead, Biden insisted on pulling out immediately and in an utterly haphazard fashion, against the advice of his generals with no conditions put on the withdrawal, des­pite the Taliban having ­already broken the deal originally brokered by the Trump administration.

Signs that he would betray Afghanistan have always been there. As far back as 2010, then-Vice President Biden was recorded by Barack Obama’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke as saying “we don’t have to worry about” the consequences for Afghans left behind when the US departed.

“We did it in Vietnam, Nixon and Kissinger got away with it,” Holbrooke wrote in his diary at the time.

Taliban insurgents at a theme park in the city. Picture: Twitter

Whether Biden gets away with it is another question.

Even normally friendly voices in the US media have begun to turn on him.

CNN’s Jake Tapper said that the President had been “forced” to make a public statement about Afghanistan.

“The President said that the buck stopped with him, but, in fact, the speech was full of finger-pointing and blame, especially for the Afghans,” Tapper said.

Meanwhile, others are noting that the collapse of US power in Afghanistan is a blow to those who counted on its support around the globe.

Australian Strategic Policy Institute director Peter Jennings described the fall of ­Afghanistan as an “absolute disaster” for Biden.

“Biden withdrew without even an attempt to consult ­inside the national security community in America,” he said. “He did this knowing that what he was doing was creating a full on disaster.”

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks about the situation in Afghanistan. Picture: AFP

Jennings said it was one of the “worst foreign policy decisions” he has seen a US President take, and would dramatically impact the ­nation’s global standing.

“There’s no ally in the Indo Pacific which could be comfortable with Biden’s choice,” he said, adding that with the threat of global ­superpowers like China loom­ing, the Biden administration’s actions in Afghanistan were not a good sign. “What does that mean for the security for a place like Taiwan,” he said.

Indeed China, which has already said it is ready for “friendly relations” with the Taliban as it seeks to project its power across Central Asia, is openly taunting the US over its self-inflicted defeat.

Beijing’s official tabloid, The Global Times, had within 24 hours of the collapse posted at least three articles on its home page linking Afghanistan’s fate to Taiwan’s future.

The clear message: Taiwan shouldn’t rely on the US coming to its aid if and when China decides to purse its goal of “reunification”.

Nor, it seems, should the countless Afghans left to deal with life — such as it will be — under the Taliban.

As Biden walked out of the room where he delivered his address on the collapse of Afghanistan, he refused to take questions from the press.

But one reporter was picked up by a microphone shouting a question: “Mr President, what do you make of the Afghans clinging to the aircraft?”

Biden didn’t answer. He had places to be. In a little while Marine One would be ferrying him back to Camp David and the important business of a little R&R.

Originally published as ‘It’s all going to plan’: Biden defends US withdrawal from Afghanistan