Letters to the Editor: President Biden’s shame on the 20th anniversary of 9/11

To the editor: Let us hope that on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, President Biden doesn’t pat himself on the back and describe the Afghanistan withdrawal as a success, even if it was for the Taliban.

Right now, the Taliban has the leverage, and it is stronger than ever, with billions of dollars’ worth of U.S.-funded and manufactured military equipment. The terrorist group may as well be giving the U.S. the finger, as its fighters brandish the guns, uniforms and helicopters all left behind by the Biden administration.

The president ought to hide his head in shame and resign over this disastrous withdrawal.

JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater, Fla.

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To the editor: Joseph Felter’s op-ed article on leaving Afghanistan seems more like a right-wing disinformation piece than an attempt to make a serious argument about staying in Afghanistan.

Although he doesn’t mention Biden by name, Felter seems to blame the exit on the “arbitrarily chosen Aug. 31 deadline” but fails to mention former President Trump’s deal with the Taliban to be out by May. He also seems to suggest that President George W. Bush’s nation-building was working until President Obama “declared the end of combat operations in 2014.”

Felter suggests that the “last remaining objective in this … war of choice was to prevent a violent transition of government” in Afghanistan.

Oh, the irony. It is the images of Jan. 6 that “will be forever burned in America’s collective consciousness,” and the rest of the world’s as well.

There are serious national security threats today from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. They come in the form of cyberattacks and the spread of disinformation. China and Russia are developing hypersonic weapons and artificial intelligence. These are the new ways of inflicting harm.

John Eaglesham, Long Beach

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To the editor: Similar to the conclusion of the conflict between North Vietnam and South Vietnam in the 1970s, the Afghan civil war now continues after a 20-year hiatus. In both conflicts, U.S. intervention imposed decades-long delays in the resolution of those persistent civil wars.

As with Vietnam, continued U.S. military interventions in Afghanistan arguably would not have prevented the eventual restarting of the internal fighting among the various Afghan tribes, social classes and religious factions when the U.S. and our allies withdrew.

In dealing with the apparently victorious Taliban factions, the Biden administration should remember the history and lessons learned from our eventual reengagement with Vietnam, now a regional ally and significant trading partner.

Fred Reimer, Los Angeles

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To the editor: We could not have won in Afghanistan. The Taliban did not win either. It has shown itself capable only of a terrorist dictatorship, and this cannot last, particularly with so many Afghan citizens having experienced freedom.

Who won? The weapons manufacturers, with billions of dollars paid by the good citizens of the United States.

Edgar M. Moran, Long Beach