Report: At least 11 US Marines and 1 Navy Corpsman killed in bombing near Kabul Airport.

Bagram Air Base is located about a 30 minute helicopter flight from Kabul. It has fences and guard towers to provide security. It also has 2 runways. But we abandoned it. Kabul Airport apparently has only 1 runway. Blocking or damaging even part of the runway would prevent its use by the huge transport planes needed to evacuate so many Americans and friendly Afghans. Those planes need long runways.

Kabul is a city of 4 million. Securing an airport in the middle of the city is impossible. High-rise buildings provide ideal sites for portable rocket launchers or rifles. One plane crashing on landing or takeoff would block the runway and close the airport. Who would plan to evacuate thousands of civilians from an insecure airport, when a secure airfield was available? Who would place at risk our ability to evacuate those to whom we are obligated?

The attributes of a leader are competence, courage of conviction, and care of subordinates. − Bing West, author, Marine

Using these criteria, the Biden administration is batting 0 for 3. If negative numbers were allowed, the score would be far below zero.