In 2001, then-Senator Joe Biden, alongside his fellow lawmakers, voted unanimously to initiate a war in Afghanistan. He stressed the importance of committing American troops to the conflict, warning that abandoning the mission would lead to the loss of hope for a liberated Afghanistan.
Fast forward twenty years, President Biden justified his recent decision to withdraw from Afghanistan with the same conviction. He framed the withdrawal as a moral necessity while rejecting criticisms about the chaotic exit and the rapid rise of Taliban rule that erased the hard-won freedoms of millions of Afghans. Upon completion of the withdrawal, Biden lauded the mission as an “extraordinary success.”
However, despite Biden’s steadfastness, the aftermath of the Afghanistan withdrawal continues to cast a shadow over his administration even two years later. While critics use the episode to attack the President, there are signs that the withdrawal has left a lasting impact on his administration’s approach to foreign policy, both visible and hidden.
Franklin Foer’s upcoming book in The Atlantic explores the dynamics within the White House during the summer of 2021. The book suggests that Biden was determined and even stubborn in his approach to the withdrawal, becoming furious over negative media coverage.
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Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, now a senior director at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, criticized Biden’s single-minded approach, stating that the President dismissed critical warnings from senior military advisors. Montgomery argued that Biden’s decision to override concerns and recommendations led to a disastrous policy.
Daniel Byman, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that many officials within the administration have shifted their focus to other areas they consider successful, like support for Ukraine and the approach to China.
Montgomery highlighted that the perception of the Afghanistan calamity emphasized the need for the U.S. to succeed in other global arenas. He pointed out that allies might question America’s commitment to its obligations, given the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Backing Ukraine has partially restored the U.S.’s global standing, but not entirely. Montgomery believes that the credible belief that the U.S. would commit military personnel deters adversaries like China, but recent administrations’ actions have raised doubts about that commitment.
The political fallout from the Afghanistan withdrawal has been considerable. Republicans in Congress and on the campaign trail have consistently criticized Biden’s handling of the situation. Gold Star families of service members killed in the 2021 bombing in Kabul expressed frustration and demanded accountability.
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The Pentagon disputed claims that the attack could have been prevented, leading to further controversy. Former President Donald Trump hosted a dinner for Gold Star families, promising transparency about the attack if reelected.
The Biden administration’s attempts at transparency have faced criticism. White House reports and State Department reviews have been viewed as defensive and attempts to shift blame rather than genuine reflections on the situation.
While criticisms have not had a significant impact on polling, questions remain about whether Afghanistan will again become a hub for extremism. Although al-Qaeda has been weakened, other groups aligned with the Taliban have expanded their operations.
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Biden’s belief that the Taliban will aid in fighting terror is questioned, as the U.S. has limited leverage over the Taliban’s behavior. While some hope the Taliban will exercise caution, others remain skeptical.
In the end, the Afghanistan withdrawal’s legacy continues to influence U.S. foreign policy decisions, both in terms of immediate consequences and broader perceptions of American commitments on the global stage.
