I suppose it is safe to say that not since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 has America experienced a week so full of shock and frustration as the one we that began August 15 and concluded yesterday August 22, 2021.
The week began with the Taliban seizing control of Kabul, Afghanistan, and Americans watched televised images of military helicopters rescuing Americans from the U.S. embassy, a scene that was reminiscent of U.S. efforts to save Americans and others during the fall of Saigon in 1975.
I watched the collapse of Saigon as it happened. I was in the 8th grade. We watched special news reports on a TV in my social studies class, and my parents had the news on at home throughout that tragic episode. I thought then, as many Americans did, that I'd never see anything like that again. I was right until Aug. 15.
We begin a second week of a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as the United States scrambles to rescue as many as 15,000 American citizens trapped in that country and as many as 86,000 Afghan nationals who worked for the U.S. during the last 20 years. An additional 100,000 foreign nationals also are trapped in the country, according to some estimates.
The focus now is on getting as many people out through Kabul's international airport by Aug. 31, but for the first several days of last week many stunned Americans wondered how the Taliban could achieve so much in such a short time, after all, the U.S. spent nearly 20 years and nearly $100 billion building and training an Afghan army. That army all but disappeared in a matter of days. The Taliban grabbed up a large cache of weapons, helicopters and sophisticated equipment, left behind by the U.S.
Frustration followed shock as Americans watched as the entire U.S. national security establishment appeared confused and disorganized. Finger-pointing began almost immediately. President Joe Biden blamed the Afghan army, the previous administration, and poor intelligence.
The State Deparment looked overwhelmed, and the Pentagon acknowledged it lacked the capabilities to rescue those Americans who could not reach Kabul's airport.
And throughout the week, the news broadcast heartbreaking images from Afghanistan, where people died as they tried to get out of Kabul, and the Taliban began beating and executing civilians.
Our allies expressed anger, even contempt for the President. Experts on such things said the episode has seriously damaged U.S. credibility and might lead China to assault Taiwan and Russia to grab Ukraine. It was by many measurements a devasting week.
Commentators said today it is unlikely President Biden will regain public confidence and approval. The situation also is devastating to Biden's legislative agenda, some say. We'll have to wait and see about that.
I expect anger and impatience will replace last week's shock and frustration, but that's only a guess.
--Thank you for reading. Please comment here, or send an email to kbotterman@gmail.com.
