The Patriot Post® · Shameful Presidential Dereliction of Duty
How is it possible, even conceivable, that our nation’s president and commander-in-chief could cave to the Taliban and order the removal of all U.S. military personnel from Afghanistan, while leaving American citizens and our Afghan partners at the mercy of the barbaric Taliban?
That question is even more pressing now, given the attack today resulting in the death of 10 Marines, 2 Army soldiers and a Navy corpsman, and more than 100 civilian casualties. Make no mistake about Joe Biden’s spin on this deadly attack – there is NO distinction between the so-called “Taliban government” thugs and their ISIS and al-Qa'ida surrogates.
In just seven short months in office, Biden has surely made the most significant presidential blunders in the history of America. And now comes his colossal failure in Afghanistan, undermining our standing with global partners and emboldening tyrants around the world.
His decision-making regarding the withdrawal from Afghanistan is derelict, cowardly, and un-American — all so he could take a withdrawal victory lap ahead of the 20th observance of al-Qaida’s devastating attack on our nation. The perilous irony is that Biden just restored a likely safe haven for the deadliest terrorists in the world.
Biden has harmed our country, ruined our international standing, and put us at greater risk from emerging international security threats. He is surely responsible for the totally inexcusable deaths of American citizens and our partners in Afghanistan — both today and in the days to come. His conduct is shameful and cowardly. He should be impeached and removed from office immediately and criminal charges should be considered.
Additionally, as the president’s appalling political decisions have been framed as military orders down the line, one after another, including the foolish abandonment of Bagram Air Base prior to the safe evacuation of all civilians, our military leaders and commanders, from SecDef Lloyd Austin to Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley to the senior commanders at Central Command, should have long since resigned in protest. To date, not one of them has tendered their resignation — zero. Stunning.
And now it’s getting worse. Biden has reaffirmed that all U.S. military personnel will be out of Afghanistan by August 31 — and this appears to be regardless of whether all U.S. citizens and committed Afghan partners (translators, workers, etc.) are out of harm’s way. If this happens, it is high treason.
With this latest inconceivable decision to potentially abandon American citizens and partners behind enemy lines to be tortured or murdered by the Taliban and its al-Qaida terrorists, those same military leaders and commanders who should have resigned in protest earlier must now refuse these latest orders and resign. They cannot be party to the making of this continuing outrageous tragedy.
For God’s sake, military leaders and commanders, demonstrate your love of country, adherence to warrior ethos, and resign. At this tragic point in our nation’s history, once a beacon of Liberty to the world, nothing less is acceptable.
(B.B. Bell, General, U.S. Army (Ret.), is a member of The Patriot Post’s National Advisory Committee. He served in uniform for almost four decades, including extended deployments overseas in both peace and war.)
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