Letter to the editor: A different look at Afghanistan pullout

I am really tired of Republican letter-writers harping about President Biden’s “humiliating Afghanistan surrender to the Taliban” (“Biden a flawed president, flawed man,” Dec. 21, TribLive). Another wrote of “A bungled, shameful Afghanistan pullout.” (“Hope for a better tomorrow with Trump,” TribLive, Dec. 27). Where were these writers while we “humiliated” ourselves in the eyes of the world for 13 years during that stupid war? A war we lost.

It was President Trump who “surrendered” to the Taliban in 2018, then did nothing, leaving it to Biden to take the blame. The government we supported in Afghanistan collapsed overnight. We did not see it coming — an intelligence failure worthy of complaint and investigation. Instead Republicans complain about the billions in equipment we left behind. An honest Republican would call for sending in 100,000 troops to get that stuff back — but we know they would never suggest that.

Republicans tug at our heartstrings about the “needless loss of 13 U.S. troops.” Where were their heartstrings while 2,459 of our troops were killed and 20,769 wounded — or was that “needful”? Republicans never mention the Biden administration actually pulled off one of the greatest short-notice evacuations in history: 122,000 people. Is that what they mean by “bungled”?

So grow up. Pay attention to what’s really going on the world, not to some internet blog whose author you don’t know or how they’re getting paid. Stop turning everything into a political football. Concentrate on the things that should be. That would be real patriotism.

Robert Supansic

McKeesport