FACT CHECKING the U.S. Afghanistan withdrawal in a very long post, but one needed for
the historical record.
The
Taliban welcomed a tweet from Trump in which he promised to have the last U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by
Christmas 2020.
1. The Taliban have never detailed the commitments they made
in the February 2020 peace agreement with the U.S. to fight any terrorists left
in Afghanistan, and Washington refused to give details, citing security
concerns.
2. Even as the warring sides meet in Doha to map out what a
post-conflict Afghanistan might look like, Washington and NATO have already
begun reducing their troop numbers.
The U.S. went down to under 5,000 troops from an estimated
13,000 when it signed the agreement with
the Taliban on February 29, 2020 to withdraw in May 2020. Trump's comments
caught most Afghan observers by surprise and the Afghan government did not
immediately respond.
3. Biden wanted the withdrawal extended until August 31, 2021. On August 23, 2021, CIA Director Burns held a secret meeting with the Taliban to discuss the August 31 deadline for a U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Taliban
spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Sky News: “The group would not agree to any extension, calling May red line and
any delay would be viewed as extending occupation. If the U.S, or UK were to
seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer would be no, or there
would be consequences.”
5. Note: This is not
the first time Trump has undercut the Pentagon with announcements about troop
strength in Afghanistan. He previously has publicly announced American
troop strength without vetting by the Pentagon, which did not responded to
Trump's tweet. Trump had long promised to end U.S. involvement in Afghanistan
and the agreement with the Taliban does
not require the two Afghan sides reach a deal before Washington withdraws.
President Joe Biden and his predecessor, Donald Trump, were
both eager to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan and end what Biden referred
to in his August 16, 2021 speech as “America’s longest war.”
The Trump administration in February 2020 negotiated a with drawal agreement with the Taliban that did not
include the Afghan goverment:
1. Excluded the Afghan government.
2. Freed some 5,000 imprisoned Taliban soldiers.
3. Set a date certain of May 1, 2021, for the final withdrawal
of all U.S. Forces.
Trump kept to the pact, reducing U.S. troop levels from
about 13,000 to 2,500, even though the Taliban continued to attack Afghan government forces. They also welcomed al-Qaeda terrorists into the Taliban
leadership.
Biden delayed the May 1 withdrawal date that he inherited
from Trump, pushing ahead with a plan to withdraw by August 31, despite obvious
signs that the Taliban wasn’t complying with the Trump agreement to fight
Al-Qaeda and ISIS and to create an “Islamic government” in Afghanistan
after the U.S. left, even if it meant it had to “continue our war to achieve
our goal.”
February 29, 2020 —
U.S. and Taliban sign an agreement that sets the terms for a U.S. withdrawal from
Afghanistan by May 1, 2021, but do not release two classified annexes that set
the conditions for U.S. withdrawal.
At
the time of the agreement, the U.S. had about 13,000 troops in
Afghanistan, according to a DOD IG report.
March 1, 2020 — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani objects to a
provision in the agreement that would require his country to release 5,000
Taliban prisoners.
March 4, 2020 — Chairman
of the JCS General Mark Milley tells the
Senate Armed Services Committee that the Taliban pledged in the classified
documents: “Not to attack U.S. troops and
coalition forces or launch high-profile attacks, including in Afghanistan’s 34
provincial capitals.”
March 10, 2020 — Under pressure from the U.S., Ghani orders the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners, but at the rate of 100
per day.
May 19, 2020 — In
releasing its quarterly report on Afghanistan, the DOD IG said: “The U.S. cut troop levels in
Afghanistan by more than 4,000, even though the Taliban escalated violence
further after signing the agreement.”
August 18, 2020 — In
releasing a report that
covered activity in Afghanistan from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020, the
Defense Department IG said: “The Taliban did not appear to uphold its
commitment to distance itself from terrorist organizations in Afghanistan. UN
and U.S. officials reported that the Taliban continued to support al-Qaeda, and
conducted joint attacks with al-Qaeda members against Afghan National Defense
and Security Forces.”
September 3,
2020 — Afghanistan releases the final 400 Taliban prisoners, as required under the
US-Taliban agreement, clearing the way for intra-Afghan peace talks to begin.
September 12,
2020 — After seven months of
delays, Afghanistan government officials and Taliban representatives meet in Qatar for peace talks. The U.S-Taliban agreement called
for the first peace talks to begin on March 10.
September16,
2020 — The Taliban continued
attacks on government forces. The VOA reported: “Taliban
attacks in three provinces and killed at least 17 people, including six
civilians.
September 18,
2020 — At a press conference, Trump said: “We’re dealing very well with the
Taliban. They’re very tough, they’re very smart, and they’re very
sharp. But, you know, it’s been 19 years, and even they are tired of
fighting, in all fairness.”
November 16, 2020 —
Republicans responding to news reports that the Trump
administration will rapidly reduce forces in Afghanistan warn what Sen.
Marco Rubio (R-FL) called: “A
Saigon-type of situation.”
November 17, 2020 —
Acting SecDef Christopher Miller formally announces that the U.S. will reduce U.S. forces in
Afghanistan to 2,500 by January 15, 2021.
December 2,
2020 — After past false
starts, Afghan and Taliban negotiators agree on a framework to govern peace negotiations. “At
the same time, the Taliban continued its fight and talk strategy, increasing
violence across the country to increase its leverage with the Afghan government
in negotiations,” says the DOD IG office in a quarterly report covering this period.
January 15,
2021 — Acting SecDef Miller also said: “Today, U.S. force levels in
Afghanistan have reached 2,500. This drawdown brings U.S. forces in the country
to their lowest levels since 2001.”
February 3,
2021 — The Afghanistan Study
Group, which was created by Congress in December 2019 and charged with making
policy recommendations for a peaceful transition in Afghanistan, releases a report recommending changes to the agreement with the
Taliban.
February 19,
2021 — Biden reiterates
his campaign promise to
bring U.S. troops home from Afghanistan, saying during remarks at
the Munich Security Conference.
March 7, 2021 — Secretary of State Blinken tells Afghanistan President Ashra Ghani: “That despite future U.S. financial assistance, there is U.S. concern that the security situation will worsen and the Taliban could make rapid territorial gains.”
March 25, 2021 —
Gen. Richard Clarke, commander of the
U.S. Special OPS Command tells the
Senate Armed Services Committee: “It is
clear that the Taliban have not upheld what they said they would do and reduce
the violence.”
March 25, 2021
— During a press
conference at the White House, Biden said: “It’s going to be hard to meet the May 1 deadline. Just
in terms of tactical reasons, it’s hard to get those troops out. If we leave,
we’re going to do so in a safe and orderly way.”
Without committing to a pullout date, Biden also said: “It is not my intention to stay there for a long time.
But the question is: How and in what circumstances do we meet that agreement
that was made by President Trump to leave under a deal that looks like it’s not
being able to be worked out to begin with? How is that done? But we are not
staying a long time.”
April 14, 2021
— Biden announces that all troops will be removed from Afghanistan by
September 11, adding: “It is time to end the forever war.”
April 15, 2021 — In response to Biden’s decision to delay full
withdrawal until September 11, the Taliban releases a statement saying: “Failure to complete the withdrawal by May 1 opens
the way for us to take every necessary countermeasure, hence the American side
will be held responsible for all future consequences.”
April 18, 2021
— In a released
statement, Trump criticizes Biden’s September 11 withdrawal
deadline saying in a tweet: “We can and should get
out earlier.”
May 18, 2021 — The DOD
IG releases a report for the first three months of 2021 that says the
Taliban had increased its attacks against Afghanistan government forces during
this period and appears to be preparing with al-Qaeda for “large-scale
offensives.”
May 18, 2021 — In a House hearing on
U.S. policy in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. special representative
for Afghanistan reconciliation, downplays the prospect of a swift Taliban
takeover when U.S. forces leave.
June 8, 2021 — Taliban
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tells Foreign Policy: “That
after foreign forces leave Afghanistan the group’s goal is to create an Islamic
government, and we will be compelled to continue our war to achieve our goal.”
June 26, 2021 — At a rally in Ohio,
his first since leaving office, Trump boasts that Biden can’t stop the process
he started to remove troops from Afghanistan, and acknowledges the Afghan
government won’t last once U.S. troops leave saying: “I started the process. They [the Biden administration]
couldn’t stop the process. 21 years is enough. Don’t we think? 21 years. They
couldn’t stop the process. They wanted to, but it was very tough to stop the
process when other things… It’s a shame. 21 years, by a government that
wouldn’t last. The only way they last is if we’re there. What are we going to
say? We’ll stay for another 21 years, then we’ll stay for another 50. The whole
thing is ridiculous. … We’re bringing troops back home from Afghanistan.”
July 6, 2021 — The U.S. confirms that it has pulled out of Bagram Airfield, its largest
airfield in the Afghanistan, as the final withdrawal nears.
July 8 — Biden moves
up the timeline for full troop withdrawal to August 31 saying: “Speed is
safety. The move comes as the Taliban is at its strongest militarily since
2001.”
July 24, 2021 — At a rally in
Phoenix, Trump again boasts: “I started
the move out of Afghanistan. I think it was impossible for him [Biden] to stop
it, but it was a much different deal, telling the Taliban: “Warning t after
U.S. troops leave if you decide to do something terrible to our country … we
are going to come back and we are going to hit you harder than any country has
ever been hit.”
August 6, 2021— The Taliban takes control of its first province — the capital of Nimroz
province in Afghanistan — despite the agreement it signed with the U.S.
August 15, 2021
— Taliban fighters enter the
Afghanistan capital Kabul; the Afghan president flees the
country; and the U.S. starts to evacuate diplomats from the U.S. embassy by helicopter.
August 16, 2021
— In a speech to the
nation, Biden says: “I do not regret my
decision to end America’s warfighting in Afghanistan.”
My 2 Cents and Short Recap: Trump had a withdrawal plan in place with the Taliban for May 2020, but Biden needed more time and Trump knew if Biden made any changes to the deal had Trump made that Biden would be blamed.
That part worked and still favors Trump ranting even today mainly because the Taliban knew how Trump operated. They went along and then their all-out attack that caused the fall of Kabul.
Clever Mr. Trump damn clever indeed. Of course that’s
his M.O. too.
That was to cause chaos
and turmoil then blame everyone or anyone around him except himself for the
chaos usually saying or tweeting: “I did my best, my beautiful, very best, the
best anyone could ever do and those around me they screwed things up not me –
believe me not me. I’m the best ever, believe me.” (My hunch not his precise words).
All just more typical Trump-hyped lying and BS.
Again sorry for such a long post but much.
Thanks for stopping by.
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