Biden, Trump trade accusations on Afghanistan

Amid the chaotic scramble at Kabul’s airport to evacuate the remaining Americans and U.S. allies out of Afghanistan following the lightning fast collapse of the Afghan government and military at the hands of the repressive Taliban forces, a blame game of sorts has broken out among President Biden and former President Trump.

Trump struck a deal with the Taliban in February of last year that called for all U.S. troops to depart Afghanistan by May 2021. Trump, during his watch, reduced U.S. forces to their lowest level in Afghanistan in two decades. And last year the Afghan government released thousands of Taliban prisoners, many of whom likely once again took up arms against the U.S.-backed forces. But rather than reversing the Trump Afghanistan roadmap – as he did with plenty of other Trump policies – the president carried out the deal that was struck last year, overruling the opinions of his top military commanders.