The Jet Blue engines were roaring, a baby’s ears were popping, and the man behind me was comatose enjoying a good snore. It was just another day in the friendly skies. I was getting settled in reading Ezra Klein’s book, ‘Why We’re Polarized’ when I noticed the President of the United States walking towards me on the muted television screen in front of me. He was heading for a podium located on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I searched for my head set and turned the volume to its’ highest level. “It’s a tough day,” were President Joe Biden’s opening words. It was challenging to hear the exact details coming out of the President’s mouth as he read from the teleprompter in front of him. The byline at the bottom of CNN’s telecast said it all: 13 American Marines dead, 20 wounded, hundreds of Afghanistan citizens killed. A planned Isis-K terrorist attack at the Kabul airport had done the damage.
The President of the States stood in front of the television cameras attempting to make sense of the calamity of events he was labeling “a withdrawal.” The 20 year war in Afghanistan had gone off the rails. The man, who had dreamed his whole life for the opportunity to be standing in this spot, appeared to be lost in another space and time. President Biden’s posture exposed a Commander and Chief who knew his hands were drenched in blood. Only five minutes into the prepared speech his head was buried in the microphone, hands clutched together, resembling a man who seemed confused as to how he arrived at this tragic moment. The American media sat before him in stunned silence as their “Chosen One” was surrendering to a ragtag bunch of bandits. The idioms on his teleprompter could not help him now. All the voices that have been whispering in his ears these last few years had gone silent. Joe Biden was alone in a place only failed Generals could imagine. A place where any person would ask themselves: “How could it possibly all have gone so disturbingly wrong?” The sad school boy look, and mostly the “how the hell did I get here,” squint.
The “here” represented the 13 dead young Americans, and the 600 plus Afghan civilians. The “here” included 80 billion dollars worth of American taxpayers weaponry left behind for the amusement of the Taliban. This parting gift escalated the Taliban into the top 20 % of all countries in terms of military mite. Everyone of us knows this catastrophe in Afghanistan isn’t entirely the current President’s fault. Nor is it the responsibility of any specific individual, or government agency. The stain of last Thursday’s buffoonery runs deep. For 20 years, through numerous elections, America had been on a mission in Afghanistan to revenge and contain terrorists groups. An honorable mission considering both political parties leadership throughout those 20 years agreed “Terrorism is our nation’s largest threat.” It is 20 years later and terrorism continues to be a very large menace to American security.
The baby’s ears were feeling better and I could see the President of United States lifting his sunken head from the microphone. “We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt these terrorists and revenge today’s tragedy,” President Biden assured the American electorate. The Commander and Chief pleaded that he could not guarantee American citizens safe passage to the Kabul airport. The estimates of Americans left behind after the August 31 deadline for withdrawal is between 100 and 200. It is speculated over 20,000 Afghans who had aided us in our fight over the past 20 years will be left stranded. Their only option is to depend on the good will of the Taliban. The President had somehow made it through his address. “We have ended the 20 year War.” This type of propaganda had last been heard some 18 years ago when the President George W. Bush stood on an aircraft carrier in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean declaring a United States victory over Iraq. lol.
Approximately 80% of the American public favored an end to the long winded military operation in Afghanistan. Still, there is not a single United States citizen who is not baffled by the failures in the execution in regard to the mission. Why had we not made sure all the people who wanted to get out of Afghanistan (Americans or Afghans) got out prior to evacuating the 2,500 U.S. servicemen and women who were still holding down the fort? Why did we not have better intelligence on the Afghan Army’s lack of will to carry on their own fight? If anyone of the Generals in charge went to class at West Point how could we possibly leave 80 billion dollars worth of American Black Hawks, automatic rifles and missiles in the hands of our sworn enemy? Why had we left ourselves in a position that we needed to negotiate with the Taliban on the terms of our departure? The President of the United States fielded only three questions from reporters, hand picked by the Biden team, on what was surely the worst day of his short lived presidency. After stumbling through a few soft tosses he turned his back and shuffled off disappearing behind the curtains.
Thursday had turned to Sunday as I headed back home following a long weekend of soaking in the South Florida sun. Jet Blue flight 644 out of Fort Lauderdale was set for take off. I adjusted the channel to CNN, the world leader in news, to catch up on what had happened since I had gone missing. The television was showing the inside of a hanger halfway around the world inside of the Kabul airport. There were 13 American heroes coffins draped in their country’s flag set to be packed aboard a military aircraft. They were going home in bodybags. Or as our President described it “brave warriors being transferred home.” The steward glanced at the screen in front of me. “How many people are dead?” ‘I believe the total is 13 Americans and 600 Afghans.’ The well dressed woman seated by the window reached across an empty middle row seat to lightly squeeze my arm. “Excuse me sir, this is my first time flying, so excuse me if I act a little crazy.”
I tried hard to make my smile a soothing one. I told her the ride might get bumpy but the good news was that the two of us were on this journey together.
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