Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who served under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, has stated that President Joe Biden has been on the wrong side of almost every major policy decision for the past 48 years of government service.
And Mr. Biden is going to transform America — a term former President Obama coined often himself? Into what? And for whose benefit?
In just seven months of his presidency Mr. Biden’s decisions have outraged many within his own party including a majority of independents according to recent polls. Just what constituents is he appealing to – Republicans? That’s not possible because they are his enemy, far worse than even the Taliban.
Who is Mr. Biden trying to inspire? The president and his administration have shut down oil pipelines and surrendered its world-leading supplier status, thereby making us dependent on OPEC once again. He has opened our southern border into a free-for-all. He plans to spend trillions of newly minted dollars on dubious social programs. He has cozied up to the Chinese Communist Party, Russia and Iran, who were previously believed to be the real enemies of the western world. What is he doing?
The U.S. has just suffered the greatest humiliation in its history.
The president’s response to his disastrous retreat from Afghanistan has left thousands of Americans and Afghan supporters behind enemy lines to the fate of the notorious Taliban, a known brutal, terrorist group.
Mr. Biden’s leadership team failed to follow long-standing military doctrine taught at all military staff and war colleges. “The people with the guns are the last to evacuate from a hostile fire zone because the assumption is they may have to shoot their way out.”
That is the opposite of what President Biden ordered. Nevertheless, he now must be held accountable along with his secretaries of state and defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and any intelligence official who wrongly advised the president on the proper evacuation of U.S. citizens, their loyal supporters and the dedicated combat troops.
Military commanders responsible for the evacuation of Bagram Air Field left $85 billion of military equipment behind, including advanced attack helicopters, military air transports, tons of small arms and night vision devices, and hundreds of motor vehicles including heavily armored troop transporters and Humvees. What were they thinking?
They also left behind biometrics on every Afghan who was employed by the U.S., its affiliates and contractors. Because of the U.S. betrayal, our friends will ultimately be identified and probably executed along with their families by a ruthless Taliban.
Impeachment and resignations are insufficient. It’s time for firings and courtmartials for those responsible for this debacle of sacrificed American blood and lost treasure over the past 20 years.
Brace yourself, America! The aftermath of Afghanistan could be another killing fields of Cambodia.
Donald M. Gallagher
LTC, U.S. Army (retired)
Santa Ynez
