The “Fundamental Misunderstanding” in Afghanistan: UVA's Lawless on U.S. Withdrawal
The “Fundamental Misunderstanding” in Afghanistan: UVA's Lawless on U.S. Withdrawal
Lawless joined on Tuesday, just as the first flights were evacuating both foreigners and Afghan people, including the two young Aghan men who plunged to their deaths when they were unable to board a flight and clung to the outside of an aircraft.
On Thursday, the Taliban had secured control of the Kabul airport — with reports that U.S. forces are now unable to help Americans with safe passage out of the country
“I think there was a fundamental misunderstanding of the willingness of the Afghan people to step up and fight the Taliban,” said Lawless.
“Everything is a big unknown right now and obviously the Taliban are obviously not trustworthy,” she added. “I think we don’t know how bad it’s going to be.”
Lawless also spoke to how Republicans are politicizing the issue — after former President Donald Trump had called for the U.S. to withdraw even ahead of President Joe Biden’s timeline.
"I wish Joe Biden wouldn't use September 11 as the date to withdraw our troops from Afghanistan, for two reasons. First, we can and should get out earlier. Nineteen years is enough, in fact, far too much and way too long," Trump had said in April.