Biden rejects Army report of Afghanistan withdrawal

[Sparko]

Why am I not surprised?

Source: https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/593822-biden-says-he-rejects-findings-of-army-report-on-afghanistan

Biden says he rejects findings of Army report on Afghanistan


President Biden on Thursday said he rejected the accounts and findings of an Army investigative report in which military officials reportedly criticized Biden administration officials for failing to grasp the situation in Afghanistan as U.S. forces withdrew.

Asked about the report during an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt on Thursday, Biden said that it didn’t square with his impression of the administration's handling of the withdrawal.
“No, that’s not that I was told,” Biden said when asked if the details of the investigation, which was reported by The Washington Post, rang true to him. “There was no good time to get out, but if we had not gotten out, they acknowledged we would have had to put a hell of a lot more troops back in.”

Asked if he was rejecting the accounts or conclusions of the report, Biden replied, “Yes, I am.”
“I am rejecting them,” he said.

The Post reported earlier this week that the Army report stretches thousands of pages and contains sworn testimony from commanders involved in the withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer.
According to The Post, military officials quoted in the document accused White House and State Department officials of not recognizing the swift advance of the Taliban as U.S. forces withdrew from the country. It reportedly points to disagreements over how to handle the evacuation of Americans and at-risk Afghans.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan was a low point for Biden in his first year in office. While a majority of Americans support withdrawing from the country, the chaotic nature of the U.S. military exit spawned criticism from Republicans and Democrats of the administration’s handling of it.

Biden has firmly defended his decision to withdraw, saying that remaining in Afghanistan would have cost more American lives and forced the U.S. to commit more forces to fight off the Taliban.

Asked about the Army report earlier this week, White House press secretary Jen Psaki insisted the administration was prepared for “a range of contingencies,” but noted that U.S. officials did not anticipate Afghanistan falling to the Taliban as quickly as it did.

“There was a range of contingency planning that was done in close coordination by all of the players on the national security team at the time to prepare for a range of options and a range of outcomes,” Psaki said.

© Copyright Original Source

[rogue06]

Old Joe still maintains that the Afghan bugout was an "outstanding success" so it is no surprise that he rejects the conclusion that he is a foul-up.



Keep in mind he also maintains that he "outperformed" during his first year.

Voters disagree.

According to a just released poll by CNN, 60% of Americans disapprove of how old Joe is doing his job (the RCP average places him under 40%) with most of that group saying there's literally nothing Biden has done since taking office that they approve of. This goes with a Rasmussen poll that found that 54% think he ranks among the worst chief executives in American history (that's lower than Trump who had to fight fraudulent charges and a toxically hostile MSM). In fact, I heard old Joe's numbers for his first year are worse than any other president.

But he thinks a colossal failure was an "outstanding success" and he is "outperform[ing]" any expectations.

Facepalm stooges.jpg

[Ronson]

Asked if he was rejecting the accounts or conclusions of the report, Biden replied, “Yes, I am.”
“I am rejecting them,” he said.

Joe was there! He witnessed it so he should know better than the army!

[Stoic]

Why am I not surprised?

Probably because Biden's a politician, responding to criticism the way politicians do.

No doubt the withdrawal from Afghanistan could have been handled better, but the fact is that we're out, and in the long run that's the important thing. Since we don't have a Trump withdrawal from Afghanistan to compare it to, I don't think it's really a campaign issue, though I'm sure people who were going to vote against Biden anyway will cite that as one of their reasons.

[rogue06]

Probably because Biden's a politician, responding to criticism the way politicians do.

No doubt the withdrawal from Afghanistan could have been handled better, but the fact is that we're out, and in the long run that's the important thing. Since we don't have a Trump withdrawal from Afghanistan to compare it to, I don't think it's really a campaign issue, though I'm sure people who were going to vote against Biden anyway will cite that as one of their reasons.

That "long run" may include the invasion of Ukraine and even Taiwan thanks entirely to the "outstanding success" old Joe had. And let's not forget what Iran and North Korea might do (and are doing) thanks to that "outstanding success."

[Stoic]

That "long run" may include the invasion of Ukraine and even Taiwan thanks entirely to the "outstanding success" old Joe had. And let's not forget what Iran and North Korea might do (and are doing) thanks to that "outstanding success."

I thought most conservatives were okay with an invasion of Ukraine.

[Sparko]

Probably because Biden's a politician, responding to criticism the way politicians do.

No doubt the withdrawal from Afghanistan could have been handled better, but the fact is that we're out, and in the long run that's the important thing. Since we don't have a Trump withdrawal from Afghanistan to compare it to, I don't think it's really a campaign issue, though I'm sure people who were going to vote against Biden anyway will cite that as one of their reasons.

I disagree. It will be a big campaign issue and his "rejecting" the report is tantamount to calling the interviewees in the report outright liars because they signed off on them under oath. They are legally attested documents. He just pissed off his entire military.

[rogue06]

I thought most conservatives were okay with an invasion of Ukraine.

Nobody I know or have heard is "okay" with it. There is a lot of resignation that having such a weak doddering president has made it all but inevitable and that there is really very little that we can do.

There is also a feeling that Ukraine is not the hill to make a stand on with that being Taiwan -- which is also on the chopping block thanks to Captain Trunalimunumaprzure.

But nobody is "okay" with it.

[Ronson]

I thought most conservatives were okay with an invasion of Ukraine.

Military ventures don't tend to be very partisan, from what I've seen. Some may prefer invading one country over another, but there are politicians on both sides that kowtow to the military.

[tabibito]

Military ventures don't tend to be very partisan, from what I've seen. Some may prefer invading one country over another, but there are politicians on both sides that kowtow to the military.

If so, the ones who kowtowed with regard to Afghanistan were not in any position to influence decisions it seems.

[Mountain Man]

No doubt the withdrawal from Afghanistan could have been handled better...

That's a colossal understatement. It's hard to imagine how they could have done worse.

[Ronson]

If so, the ones who kowtowed with regard to Afghanistan were not in any position to influence decisions it seems.

Afghanistan.jpg

[Stoic]

That's a colossal understatement. It's hard to imagine how they could have done worse.

That suggests a lack of imagination on your part.

[seanD]

I thought most conservatives were okay with an invasion of Ukraine.

If a real war actually kicks off in Ukraine, it's going to be really amusing to me watching how all you war hawk tough guy leftists react to the consequences of that.

[Stoic]

If a real war actually kicks off in Ukraine, it's going to be really amusing to me watching how all you war hawk tough guy leftists react to the consequences of that.

Who are you calling a war hawk?