It is the anguished tone-at times bordering on hysteria-that I find more mystifying. I can also understand those who are genuinely troubled by the humanitarian consequences, even if this outcome was to be expected no matter when or how the United States ultimately left. I understand their resentment at not being consulted (or not having their advice heeded), although such complaints have been a recurring feature of alliance relations since the dawn of time. It is the commentary from others-and especially America’s NATO allies-that I find most interesting and somewhat harder to explain. It might be more appropriate if those who repeatedly got this conflict wrong maintained a dignified silence, but that is clearly expecting too much of most VIP egos. It is equally unsurprising that unrepentant hard-liners and the many individuals who were directly involved in prosecuting (and losing) the war in Afghanistan are now defending their efforts and trying to pin the blame for the outcome on Biden alone. President Joe Biden is trying to accomplish are trying to milk the messy endgame for all the political capital it may be worth. It is entirely predictable that Republicans who oppose everything U.S. In some cases, assume-the-worst analysis is easy to explain. This week, I want to dig deeper and consider why so many people-and especially observers in Europe-appear to see this event as a pivotal moment. Even so, I still find the hyperbole and over-the-top rhetoric remarkable. No doubt some of these commentators genuinely believe their dire pronouncements, and the Islamic State-Khorasan attack on the Kabul airport is bound to intensify those feelings. withdrawal from Afghanistan-including the disorderly manner in which it played out-had done vast and lasting damage to America’s international position. My last column pushed back at the chorus of doomsayers who insist that the U.S.
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