Collapse of Kabul will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history, says Trump

PTI, Aug 16, 2021, 9:15 AM IST

 Washington:  The collapse of Kabul without any resistance to the Taliban will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history, former US President Donald Trump has said.

“What Joe Biden has done with Afghanistan is legendary. It will go down as one of the greatest defeats in American history,” Trump said in a short statement hours after the Taliban occupied the presidential palace in Kabul and its elected leader Ashraf Ghani fled the country along with his senior officials reportedly to Tajikistan.

There was no word from the White House on the developments in Kabul.

President Joe Biden, who is spending his weekend in Camp David, held a secure video conference with his top national security advisors, the White House said.
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley described it as a failure of the Biden Administration.

“It’s not always what you do, it’s how you do it. Begging the Taliban to let Americans out of Afghanistan is not how any combat veteran or military family thought this would end. Their sacrifices mattered. Now we all know more serious threats will follow,” she said.

“If I were still the Secretary of State with a Commander in Chief like President Trump, the Taliban would have understood that there were real costs to pay if there were plots against America. Qasem Soleimani learned that lesson, and the Taliban would have learned it as well,” said former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in an interview to Fox News.

On CNN, Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the US has not asked the Taliban for anything.“We’ve told the Taliban that if they interfere with our personnel, with our operations, as we’re proceeding with this drawdown, there will be a swift and decisive response. That’s what we’ve told them,” he said.

Blinken defended the Afghan policy of President Biden.

He was asked if the Biden Administration recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government.

“A future Afghan government that upholds the basic rights of its people and that doesn’t harbor terrorists is a government we can work with and recognize. Conversely, a government that doesn’t do that – that doesn’t uphold the basic rights of its people, including women and girls; that harbors terrorist groups that have designs on the United States or allies and partners – certainly, that’s not going to happen,” he said.

“And beyond that, to the extent that the Taliban has a self-interest if it’s leading the government in Afghanistan of assistance from the international community, support from the international community, none of that will be forthcoming. Sanctions won’t be lifted, their ability to travel won’t happen if they’re not sustaining the basic rights of the Afghan people and if they revert to supporting or harboring terrorists who might strike us,” he added.