Even after the second Iraq war, with the United States and coalition still maintaining a presence, a governing structure was in place. But in Afghanistan, the United States could choose to support the Taliban government on the humanitarian basis that cutting off assistance would unduly harm innocent Afghans. So, as it negotiated with the Taliban to end its presence in Afghanistan, and the West evacuated Kabul, the White House and International Monetary Fund released funds based on ensuring some degree of oversight.
As the oil for food program in Iraq after the first Gulf War in empowered Saddam Hussein as he controlled where the food went, Biden was attacked by both sides of the aisle for giving support to the Taliban. Members in Congress have asked and will ask how can you deal with an enemy that you were trying to kill and now are providing relief.
The Biden administration believes and assumes that the Afghan crisis will pass. The elections are 14 months away.
Democrats running for the House should be able to use that passage to advantage in seeking re-election. COVID will be important and will dominate the news, regardless of whether the pandemic diminishes or continues to spread. As the Biden administration failed to anticipate and plan for the stunning collapse of the Afghan government and security forces, it cannot repeat that folly if or when the Taliban likewise cannot govern.
That incompetence will drive that country into chaos. What should the Biden administration do now? Because of domestic politics and the enormous backlash the Biden White House will face, largely but not entirely from Republicans, it needs a subtle strategy.
The obvious choice for the lead is the United Nations. The administration should begin a behind-the-scenes effort to build support for a U. General Assembly and Security Council resolutions that pledge funds and assistance overseen by a U. Otherwise, there will be no way of avoiding the moral consequences of this tragedy. Infection control. Black veterans. Trump records. Previous Next. February 16, GMT.
By Abbas Djavadi. See comments Print. Things are improving, he said, and the West should provide more support to crack down on Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. He categorically rejected the view that Afghanistan is a failed state. What is a "failed state," after all? If a government can't physically control its territory; has no, or only a limited, monopoly on the legitimate use of force; cannot adopt and enforce decisions binding for the whole country; is unable to provide basic public services; and cannot represent the whole country in the international community -- that state is a failed or failing one, depending on the level of these shortcomings.
Based on these criteria, Afghanistan is a failed state. For years, it has been, and still is, one of the world's top 10 failed states, along with Sudan, Somalia, Iraq, Zimbabwe, and others.
What went wrong? Pretty much everything, but not in the way that most people think. While poor planning and a lack of accurate intelligence certainly contributed to the disaster, the problem has in fact been 20 years in the making. Already have an account? Log in. For more than 25 years, Project Syndicate has been guided by a simple credo: All people deserve access to a broad range of views by the world's foremost leaders and thinkers on the issues, events, and forces shaping their lives.
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