I still disagree with pulling out of Afghanistan but I have since learned much more in the last few days of the retreat. We allowed the massive country – wide corruption. It ran from the top to select individuals in commerce, military and others. They siphoned off billions instead of paying the lower troops and civil servants. Some haven’t been paid for many months. Our senior state department and allied military leadership were told to not interfere.

            No American soldier has been killed since February 2020. I thought it was by tactical luck but it was an agreement by the Trump administration. The agreement Trump made with the Taliban was we would leave in May 2021 if they didn’t kill an American. We did lots of small operations and backed up Afghan military operations after the agreement but apparently Americans were not to be killed.

            We have a history of nation building efforts with some being successful and some not so much. We spent twenty years trying to build a competent nation in Afghanistan and failing. President Biden says five, ten, twenty more years wouldn’t make any difference. I don’t think I disagree with him but I think history will quickly show we needed to stay to continue to go after international terrorism bases in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Welcome to the 22nd Century!