Changes

:{{See also|Biden/Harris foreign policy}}

:{{See also|Biden/Harris foreign policy}}

[[File:Kabul 2021.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The author of the Violence Against Women Act abandoning the women and girls of Afghanistan to the Taliban.]]

[[File:Kabul 2021.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The author of the Violence Against Women Act abandoning the women and girls of Afghanistan to the Taliban.]]

On July 8, 2021, [[Joe Biden]] said from the White House, "I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped, and more competent in terms of conducting war."<ref>https://freebeacon.com/national-security/bidens-afghanistan-predictions-were-all-wrong/</ref> The same month the [[U.S. Defense Department]] said it was providing the Afghan Air Force 35 Black Hawk helicopters and three A-29 Super Tucanos. The United States spent $83 billion equipping and training the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), including $10 billion in aircraft and vehicles.<ref>https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/08/us-spent-83-billion-training-afghan-forces-why-did-they-collapse-so-quickly/184529/</ref> Less than a month after Biden's statement, several Black Hawks helicopters and other aircraft were seized by the Taliban.  Many of the aircraft and helicopters are armed.  These A-29 Super Tucanos can fire [[laser]]-guided and other types of bombs. The Afghan government also had 50 American-made MD-530 attack helicopters, which are armed with machine guns and rockets. The Afghan Air Force had UH-60 Black Hawks and Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters, as well as C-130 and Cessna transports, and a small fleet of armed Cessnas.<ref>https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/08/taliban-captured-helicopters-can-they-capture-air-force/184525/</ref>

On July 8, 2021, [[Joe Biden]] said from the White House, "I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped, and more competent in terms of conducting war."<ref>https://freebeacon.com/national-security/bidens-afghanistan-predictions-were-all-wrong/</ref> The same month the [[U.S. Defense Department]] said it was providing the Afghan Air Force 35 Black Hawk helicopters and three A-29 Super Tucanos. The United States spent $83 billion equipping and training the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), including $10 billion in aircraft and vehicles.<ref>https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/08/us-spent-83-billion-training-afghan-forces-why-did-they-collapse-so-quickly/184529/</ref> Less than a month after Biden's statement, several Black Hawk helicopters and other aircraft were seized by the Taliban.  Many of the aircraft and helicopters are armed.  These A-29 Super Tucanos can fire [[laser]]-guided and other types of bombs. The Afghan government also had 50 American-made MD-530 attack helicopters, which are armed with machine guns and rockets. The Afghan Air Force had UH-60 Black Hawks and Russian-made Mi-17 helicopters, as well as C-130 and Cessna transports, and a small fleet of armed Cessnas.<ref>https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2021/08/taliban-captured-helicopters-can-they-capture-air-force/184525/</ref>

As the impending crisis escalated, White House chief propagandists [[Jen Psaki]] said "The [[Taliban]] has to make an assessment about what they want their role to be in the international community."  Her comments came as reports flowed in of Taliban fighters going door-to-door and forcibly selecting girls as young as 12 to reward as brides for the victorious jihadis.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/afghans-tell-of-executions-forced-marriages-in-taliban-held-areas-11628780820</ref>

As the impending crisis escalated, White House chief propagandists [[Jen Psaki]] said "The [[Taliban]] has to make an assessment about what they want their role to be in the international community."  Her comments came as reports flowed in of Taliban fighters going door-to-door and forcibly selecting girls as young as 12 to reward as brides for the victorious jihadis.<ref>https://www.wsj.com/articles/afghans-tell-of-executions-forced-marriages-in-taliban-held-areas-11628780820</ref>