Staff Reports
On the three-year anniversary of the tragic Kabul airport bombing that claimed the lives of 13 American service members and 170 Afghans, Vice President Kamala Harris took the opportunity to laude President Joe Biden’s so-called “courageous” decision to withdraw from Afghanistan. Harris boldly insisted that the president made no mistakes worth discussing, which is a feat of mental gymnastics by any standard. The comments, however, ring hollow to those who remember the chaotic evacuation that left Americans stranded and allied personnel at the mercy of the Taliban.
It seems Harris is devoted to honoring the memory of the fallen soldiers daily, even if her actions suggest otherwise. One might wonder how she manages to “mourn and honor” when she refuses to own up to the catastrophic misjudgments that led to their deaths. Instead of taking responsibility for the blunders and lapses in judgment surrounding the withdrawal, she churned out praise for “extraordinary skill, discipline, and dedication” of the troops. If only such praise could resurrect those who lost their lives due to the incompetence of her administration.
Three years ago this week: Kamala Harris was the last person in the room when Joe Biden ordered the abandonment of Bagram airbase which precipitated the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, killing 13 US Service members (whose deaths he later denied), leaving behind American… https://t.co/QFw6P7lAbP pic.twitter.com/f8lkYB2g2E
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) August 25, 2024
As Harris glorified the chaotic withdrawal, she insisted that the Biden Administration can handle threats without boots on the ground. Alarmingly, she claimed their mismanagement led to a strategy that still successfully targets terrorists. The idea that one can simply end a war and still successfully combat terrorism seems more like a liberal fantasy than a solid military strategy. One has to wonder how one can eliminate a threat that surged in the region post-withdrawal, but facts don’t appear to be on the administration’s priority list.
The Biden administration continues to deflect responsibility. It seems even the White House couldn’t muster the courage to face this grim anniversary with the Leader of the Free World. Biden conveniently took a 13-day vacation, leaving Americans questioning who is steering the ship in his absence. This is a president who can miss significant events, including one where 170 innocent lives were claimed, and somehow still claim to be in control of national security.
There’s a painful irony in a resolution that declares no need for accountability when the chaos of the withdrawal had severe repercussions. Senior military officials within the Central Command acknowledged that the pullout fostered a dangerous environment, crippling U.S. intelligence and surveillance capabilities. This laps in oversight raises questions about just how “successful” the Biden-Harris approach really is. Meanwhile, the only one left holding the proverbial bag for the chaos is the American people and those who stood bravely on foreign soil to protect their country.
While the administration and their allies spin their narrative of success, the sobering truth remains: innocent lives were lost, families destroyed, and a nation in turmoil. Events honoring those lost have been held, and their sacrifices continue to be remembered, despite the glaring silence from those in power who were responsible for their unsafe withdrawal. In the end, the actions, or lack thereof, speak volumes while the administration continues to dance around accountability.
