Happy Anniversary, Afghanistan! Biden's "Right Call" is Like Getting a Lump of Coal on your Cake.

Oh, the Taliban Had a Party, and Republicans are Throwing a Tantrum

As the Taliban celebrate their third anniversary of taking power in Kabul, Afghanistan, Republicans are swiftly tying Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris to America’s chaotic withdrawal from Kabul back in August 2021. Because, you know, they need something to whine about amidst their own dumpster fire of a party.

Harris famously declared she was the " last person in the room" with President Joe Biden before he decided to pull out the last American troops by September 11, 2021. She’s not backing down from that decision—much to the GOP's consternation.

Earlier this month, a Harris aide reaffirmed that the vice president “ strongly supported President Biden’s decision to end America’s longest war.” As Harris’s opponents struggle to gain traction, they’ve started pointing fingers at her, calling the withdrawal an alleged “disaster” and “catastrophe.” Meanwhile, Harris is surging ahead of the 2024 polls. Ouch!

But let’s get real—the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was actually a significant counterterrorism win for America. That’s a legacy Harris should embrace and build upon if elected commander-in-chief.

Yes, the evacuation of " over 120,000 US citizens," Afghans, and allied nationals in just seventeen days was a cluster. On Aug. 26, 2021, a suicide bomber from the local branch of Islamic State killed thirteen U.S. servicemembers and 170 Afghans at Hami Karzai International Airport's Abbey Gate. Heartbreaking, yes, but that doesn’t mean the withdrawal itself was a blunder.

Despite the tragedy, there’s no evidence that Biden and Harris's plans were too fast or too comprehensive. First, because the alternatives were divorced from the context of a twenty-year war. Second, because the three years since the U.S. left have been some of the most effective for the campaign against the " world’s deadliest terrorist group."

Critics insist a slower withdrawal could have averted the suicide attack, and leaving a residual U.S. military force would have enabled continued counterterrorism. Newsflash: that would have just needlessly endangered more U.S. servicemembers and prolonged the war.

When Biden extended the timeframe by roughly 100 days, the Taliban threatened to attack any remaining forces. Completing the withdrawal on Aug. 30 saved U.S. troops from a resumption of conflict that had already cost over 6,200 lives and $2.3 trillion.

Ultimately, the best weapon against ISIS is an actual functioning state, something the Taliban have delivered. Post-U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban focused their firepower on ISKP, their longtime enemy. Within a year, ISKP operations dwindled and violence dropped by 80%.

Oh, and in spring 2023, Taliban forces even took out the Abbey Gate bombing ringleader. Take that, ISIS! For counterterrorism, Biden and Harris nailed it by getting U.S. troops out ASAP. The Taliban's takeover undermined ISKP's narrative of fighting Western " crusaders."

Without minimizing the horrors in Afghanistan, it's clear the withdrawal netted a significant gain for U.S. national security. For the first time since 1979, Afghanistan is stable, not under foreign occupation or engulfed in civil war. The next step? Biden and Harris—or Harris and Walz—should pull out the 3,400 troops still in Iraq and Syria, where Islamic State is already crushed and local governments are capable of keeping it that way.

Jason Brownlee, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, is completing a book about America's wars in South Asia and the Middle East. But don't worry, we'll keep you updated on his thoughts so you can stay woke and informed.