Consider the attributes of a leader, as expressed so clearly by one who knows what he is talking about. Then tell me: Which, if any, of these attributes are exemplified by the Biden Administration, or by the top generals and admirals at the Pentagon?
The Trump Administration had a plan for withdrawing from Afghanistan. But, it is claimed, the Biden Administration ignored that plan and insisted on rushing the withdrawal to meet Biden’s arbitrary timeline of Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack on our country.
Bagram Air Base was large, secure, and located away from a city. But the Biden Administration decided to abandon it. So instead of a secure, large airfield to use for evacuation of American embassy personnel, American troops and civilians, and Afghan friends, they relied on Kabul Airport.
It is located in the middle of the city and hence difficult to defend. How do you defend against rockets or even rifle fire from tall buildings? How do you prevent crowds of refugees – perhaps mixed with Taliban – from blocking the runway, as in fact happened? In short, the Biden Administration traded a secure, defensible airfield 30 miles from Kabul for a difficult-to-defend, smaller airfield in the middle of town.
One need not be a graduate of a service academy to understand that this was dangerous folly. One need not have heard a shot fired in anger to comprehend that this was stupidity squared.
Did the military and intelligence people tell Biden that this was dangerous, but he did it anyhow? Or did they remain silent and let the plan go forward for fear of losing their jobs? Or was the plan in fact their own concoction? I don’t know and I don’t care.
If a ship runs aground or collides with another ship, the captain is relieved. Even if he wasn’t on the bridge, he trained and supervised the people who were. He was responsible. Candidate Biden promised that the buck would stop with him. Now it has. Deal with it.
Go back to those attributes of a leader. Which ones have President Biden and the top military and intelligence officials demonstrated? My answer is NONE.
“You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately…Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!” – Oliver Cromwell to Parliament