Biden Delivers on Trump’s Afghan Exit as the Taliban Surges
- Women’s rights are already being curbed as Taliban advances
- U.S. has few options to intervene as the Afghan forces flail
Photographer: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Donald Trump made the politically popular pledge to bring U.S. troops home from the nation’s longest war. Now Joe Biden is delivering on the promise -- and reaping growing criticism over the grim results that are unfolding in Afghanistan.
The U.S.-trained Afghan military is shrinking back as Taliban insurgents seize provincial capitals and reimpose their fundamentalist views. As they take towns and commandeer security checkpoints, waves of desperate people are fleeing their takeover. The situation is an especially difficult challenge for President Biden, who has committed to champion human rights and democratic values.