I feel that I must respond to the letter “In Afghanistan, history repeats itself” (Sept. 7, TribLIVE). Many, many historical facts were omitted. First and foremost was President Bush’s Iraqi war that halted all the progress we made in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2002. America would have been out of Afghanistan 10 years ago if it weren’t for Bush’s useless war.
Trump signed a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2020, leaving out the Afghan government. Trump released 5,000 Taliban and ISIS terrorists in 2020. Trump released from a Pakistani prison the current political leader of the Taliban. Trump reduced U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan from 13,000 to 2,500 in 2020, making it impossible to defend the country from 75,000 Taliban terrorists.
Also, if you think Trump had a master plan to withdraw all our troops, all our military equipment and our Afghan allies by May 1, you are crazy. We still are waiting for his medical master plan. Trump left President Biden only two options, send an additional 25,000 troops to Afghanistan to protect our remaining 2,500 troops or withdraw from Afghanistan. Ask yourself, what you would do?
Biden saved 120,000 Afghans and American citizens. Biden had the courage to pull out of this never-ending war that cost 2,500 American lives and more than 130,000 Afghan lives. The last three presidents did not have Biden’s courage. Recently there have been hundreds of Americans and Afghans flown to safety, even after our troops left.
Thank you, President Biden.
Jim Hill
Lower Burrell