But all that is, alas, already history. Where do we go from here? From a foreign policy perspective, there are two chief questions. First, what should our Afghanistan policy now become, in terms of counterterrorism and also human rights? Second, how can President Biden and his team recover their sea legs and convey to the world that the United States is not somehow weak, irresolute, or undependable in parts of the globe where the consequences of war could be even greater than in Afghanistan — to include Korea, Taiwan, and eastern Europe?
If the Taliban truly do respect amnesties to previous government officials, soldiers, police and members of civil society, as well as other friends of the West — to include religious minorities and, of course, women — we can find a way to live with them and even collaborate with them to some extent on helping to rebuild the country. Certainly the prospect of diplomatic relations is reasonable to consider.
So is limited humanitarian assistance to help preserve some of the gains in health and education that have been achieved these past 20 years, and to fight the COVID crisis , and to recover from the wounds of war.
To be sure, in dealing with a Taliban organization that took power by force and that killed so many innocents over the years, the scale of U.
But, provided that the disbursement of aid can be monitored and its proper uses confirmed, this idea is not outlandish, any more so than it was to give food aid to North Korea at times of extreme drought or flooding in past years, for example.
But speaking of North Korea, our deterrent against future bad action by the Taliban should be stiff and our threats severe. The Taliban seem to have enjoyed holding court in the presidential palace in Kabul in recent days. We know where that potential target and other government infrastructure and assets are located.
A group threatening westerners or allying with al Qaeda in the future should know no sanctuary for its leaders domestically or abroad , if the specter of violence becomes a serious consideration.
Washington time, or one minute before midnight in Kabul. The airport had become a U. The closing hours of the evacuation were marked by extraordinary drama. A suicide bombing on Aug. The final U. Daily newsletter Receive essential international news every morning. Take international news everywhere with you! Download the France 24 app.
The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore. ON TV. On social media. Who are we? Fight the Fake. Taliban celebrate 'independence day'. Antony Blinken's full statement. It may be only one to two years before the group could again threaten the U.
Then, there was the last spasm of violence before the complete pullout of U. Under that looming terrorism threat, former defense officials, lawmakers and experts believe a new U. Then-President Barack Obama declared the Iraq war over in Over the next three years, the Islamic State group grew into a Mideast regional power with control of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city.
It sponsored attacks in the U. Afghanistan, where more than , U. But this time, the military may face even tougher conditions, with the region's remote geography, a lack of bases on the ground, a Taliban regime in control of government, and allies who led a quick initial invasion victory 20 years ago either missing or in exile.
The Pentagon insists it can take out terrorist threats with "over the horizon capabilities," or long-distance surgical strikes.
But there is skepticism over the effectiveness of such strikes, which would be carried out by troops and aircraft stationed more than a thousand miles away. A botched drone strike on Aug. Adam Kinzinger R-Ill. The White House sought to turn the page on the war and shift focus as the dust settled in Kabul, even as concerns grew.
President Joe Biden gave an address Aug. It was an effort to explain a military-led withdrawal and evacuation that saw desperate Afghans clinging to a plane departing Kabul , the deadly suicide bombing, and finally the tragic U.
The terror threat has metastasized across the world, well beyond Afghanistan," said Biden, pointing to Syria, the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. Biden's top military adviser, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen.
Mark Milley, and the head of U. Central Command Gen. Frank McKenzie would later testify on Sept. But the Pentagon would instead keep an eye on the region from afar, Biden said in his address.
Afghanistan was a priority, but no longer a top priority. On the same day as Biden's address, al-Qaida released a statement praising what it called a Taliban victory over the "filth of the Americans," according to a translation posted by the Long War Journal, a publication of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The United Nations Security Council had reported in June that large numbers of al-Qaida fighters and other extremists aligned with the Taliban remained in Afghanistan.
The group was present in 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces but was laying low and minimizing communication with Taliban leaders to avoid international attention, the U.
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