Changes

On July 8, 2021, 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> "There's going to be no circumstance where you're going to see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan."<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/biden-parallels-afghanistan-vietnam-wars</ref>  The same month the 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 later 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, 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> "There's going to be no circumstance where you're going to see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan."<ref>https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/biden-parallels-afghanistan-vietnam-wars</ref>  The same month the 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 later 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>

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."<ref>https://www.mediaite.com/online/jen-psaki-mocked-for-saying-taliban-has-to-make-an-assessment-about-their-future-role-america-is-back-alright/</ref> 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>

 

On August 20, 2021 Biden claimed the U.S. went to Afghanistan to destroy al Qaeda, and has done so. Less than an hour later, a Pentagon spokesman contradicted him and said al Qaeda still exists in Afghanistan.<ref>https://nypost.com/2021/08/20/biden-stumbles-with-afghan-questions-says-americans-can-reach-kabul/</ref>

Former Obama Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker said,<ref>The Atlantic (2011). [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/04/panetta-will-run-pentagon-petraeus-to-lead-cia/237927/ Panetta Will Run Pentagon; Petraeus to Lead CIA].</ref> the Islamist group cares less about diplomatic relations than it does about the idea that it has defeated the world’s strongest military, a narrative that will embolden other Islamist militants around the world.

Former Obama Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker said,<ref>The Atlantic (2011). [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/04/panetta-will-run-pentagon-petraeus-to-lead-cia/237927/ Panetta Will Run Pentagon; Petraeus to Lead CIA].</ref> the Islamist group cares less about diplomatic relations than it does about the idea that it has defeated the world’s strongest military, a narrative that will embolden other Islamist militants around the world.