The war in Afghanistan became costly after decades of America’s stay in the country. The mission was intended to defeat the Taliban insurgents, but after many years of war, the Afghani militants were not ready to give up. In addition, the United States was increasingly losing money in a war that it could not have for over 20 years. However, after years of unfruitful outcomes of war, it was time to end the mission. Even though the Biden administration did what most Americans wanted in withdrawing the forces from Afghanistan, it did not do so effectively. Firstly, the Taliban forces harassed people, including American citizens who were to relocate to the U.S. Secondly, the withdrawal was marred with miscalculations and risks to human lives. Several Afghanis had assisted the U.S. soldiers with intelligence and were constantly being watched by the militants. Thirdly, the hurried withdrawal made the solders leave some weapons that the militants could use to fight their opponents (Mehra et al., 2022). Even though there were several challenges in the process, the army performed to the best of its ability and was eventually withdrawn.
The government could have done things differently to ensure smooth withdrawal and protection of the lives of many who depended on America. Firstly, it could have increased the number of soldiers in Afghanistan to limit any chances of an uprising when the time to leave would be announced. Secondly, it could have lifted all the American citizens and those who were working with the army before the official announcement of withdrawal. This could have eased the tension caused by the militants during the operation, creating a smooth way for the soldiers to operate during the final withdrawal.
Reference
Mehra, T., Demuynck, M., & Wentworth, M. (2022). Weapons in Afghanistan: The Taliban’s spoils of war. Web.