America’s Afghanistan Disaster Didn’t Have to Happen

Hundreds of people run alongside a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane as it moves down a runway of the international airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 16. 2021. Verified UGC via AP

Commentary

In the first two weeks of August, America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan became a humiliating rout. Make no mistake, the United States has suffered a major diplomatic and psychological defeat that will have resonance throughout the world.