Biden didn't listen to his military advisers

In the end it's always the president's decision. So when Joe Biden heard his top military advisers urging him not to pull out the remaining troops in Afghanistan until the Taliban had demonstrated they could be trusted to stick to the agreements reached in Qatar, he had already made up his mind. He had heard the "conditions-based" argument so many times before and judged that if he continued to adhere to this military plea nothing would ever change. So, despite appeals from General Mark Milley, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, General Frank McKenzie, commander of US Central Command, and General Scott Miller, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, Biden said enough was enough. He wanted them all out starting on May 1 and finishing by September 11, 20 years to the day since 9/11. Milley and co would have all had the same thought, although of course not expressed in so many words to Biden. The Taliban would be cock-a-hoop. The Taliban had won. The Taliban had defeated the US, just like they did the Russian army in the 1980s. It must have been a bitter moment. But let's look at it from Biden's point of view. And by the way, very much from the point of view of the two Big Guns in Biden's administration - Antony Blinken, secretary of state, and Jake Sullivan, national security adviser. The military had had their way for two decades without succeeding, draining the treasury coffers of $2 trillion dollars. The war must come to an end. The bizarre thing is that Biden had exactly the same view as Donald Trump. His predecessor said he wanted all US troops out of Afghanistan and the Qatar deal that produced the May 1 timetable was a direct consequence of Trump's "bring them home" policy. But even he agreed with his military chaps that the final phase of the pull-out would depend on conditions on the ground. Biden abandoned that bit. He went further than Trump, he wanted an unconditional withdrawal. Oh my, were the Taliban happy! They won't mind that they have to wait an extra few months before all US troops have gone. They'd waited 20 years quite happily. My view? Yes, it is time for the US and coalition mission in Afghanistan to be brought to an end. No question. The future is all about China and Russia, not thousands of black-turbaned, flip-flop-wearing insurgency fighters. But to order a withdrawal of the remaining 2,500 US troops without first getting a total ceasefire established and a commitment by the Taliban to lay down their arms is nothing short of disastrous. Not for us in the West but for the long-suffering Afghan people.