AFGHANISTAN FIASCO – OVERNIGHT:  American forces are pulling out of Afghanistan, with every expectation that our enemies will quickly take over the country.  Shades of Vietnam.  But will the American public care?  From Fox: 

Penntagon officials are watching the Taliban's sweeping advances in Afghanistan "with deep concern" and are encouraging its Afghan partners to "step up" and defend their country amid the pullout of U.S. forces, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Sunday.

With the Taliban claiming to have taken control of 85% of Afghanistan – a claim that U.S. government officials dispute – Kirby told "Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace that the Pentagon was "not unmindful" of the situation.

"We're certainly watching with deep concern, Chris, the deteriorating security situation and the violence which is of course way too high, and the advances and the momentum that the Taliban seems to have right now," he said.

Kirby said that officials are monitoring the Taliban's movements in the country and were working with the Afghan military "to encourage them to use the capacity and the capability that we know they have, and we know that they know how to defend their country."

He stated that Afghanistan's capacity and capabilities included a "very capable" Air Force and "very sophisticated" Special Forces that can help defend the country from the Taliban resurgence.
"This is a time for them to step up and to do exactly that," Kirby said of their Afghan partners.

With U.S. Central Command estimating that more than 90% of the withdrawal process is complete, Kirby said that even though U.S. troops won’t be supporting Afghanistan on the ground, the U.S. will continue to support the country and its people.

"We are not walking away from this relationship," Kirby said. "We’re going to continue to support them from a financial perspective logistical perspective and certainly aircraft maintenance."

COMMENT:  Yup, that aircraft maintenance will certainly turn things around.  No doubt about that.  There's no calculating what a new windshield can do.

Look, it's hard to place blame here.  We've been in Afghanistan for 20 years, since just after the 9/11 attacks.  Our presence has probably been effective in preventing the country from being used as another training ground for terror raids against America.  But, in the end, we're losing.  It's clear that the enemy is on the offensive, and there'll be little we can do to prevent a complete collapse of Afghanistan's current, America-friendly government. 

Once again our allies will wonder whether the United States can be depended upon.  Yes, 20 years is a long time, but we've been in South Korea some 71 years and Germany some 76 years.  And those are success stories.  Both countries are secure allies of the United States. 

July 11,   2021