Timeline: Why Biden’s Call With Ghani Matters

Joe Biden came into office inheriting the war in Afghanistan. But unlike previous presidents, he inherited a war that was relatively quiescent by Afghanistan standards, involved few American troops on the ground, and was in a phaseout due to an agreement his predecessor had struck with the Afghan government and the Taliban. Under that deal, the U.S. would remove its troops by May 1, 2021, if the Taliban and Afghan government met certain conditions.

Biden has played both sides of the Trump deal, both arguing that it tied his hands and that he would have sought a similar deal himself. This, plus Biden’s campaign to overturn as many Trump policies as possible after he took office, tosses out any Biden argument that attempts to blame Trump, however flawed Trump’s deal with the Taliban might have been. Biden’s hands were not tied, and he might have done the exact same thing Trump did — according to Joe Biden. Biden has also offered a false choice to do exactly what he did or dramatically escalate the war. This leaves out many alternatives including not unilaterally leaving Afghanistan during its well-established summer fighting season.

There were about 3,500 American troops in Afghanistan when Biden took office, according to the New York Times, concentrated at the massive Bagram Air Base, mostly providing intelligence and air support for the Afghan military. Maintenance contractors kept the Afghan military’s trainers/combat aircraft, Embraer’s U.S.-made A-29 Super Tucanos, flying. Combat aircraft require extensive ongoing maintenance just to be able to fly. The U.S. had used the A-29 to train Afghan pilots to conduct reconnaissance and close air support. They provided a key advantage for the Afghan military over the flightless Taliban.

According to Fox News’ Chris Wallace, Biden discussed whether to keep to Trump’s plan or come up with his own before he announced, in April 2021, that he was adjusting the May 1 date back — to Saturday, September 11. That’s no random date, of course, it’s the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, which originated on Afghan soil and precipitated the war there that lasted 20 years. This was a communications/optics strategy, not a military, strategy. Biden wanted the photo-op of ending the war on the 20th anniversary of the attacks that launched it. Biden overruled the advice of his military leaders, according to Wallace, demanding a full withdrawal by that date. The military, according to Wallace, wanted to maintain a small presence at Bagram to provide intelligence and some key air support to the Afghan military against the Taliban.

Biden announces withdrawal with that date certain on April 13, 2021.

The Taliban advances, capturing villages and territory.

On June 16, an elite group of Afghan commandos led by a legendary warrior was captured. They had called for air support from the U.S. military, but those strikes never came. Brad Taylor, an Afghanistan veteran and retired Army Lt. Col. writes that the capture and execution of those commandos and their leader, Sohrab Azimi, shocked the Afghan military. He was a superhero in their eyes, writes Taylor. When even he didn’t get the air support he needed, the message was sent to the Afghan military that neither would anyone else. The Afghan military depended on U.S. intelligence and airstrikes in its ground war with the Taliban.

Only July 5, 2021, the U.S. military abandons Bagram in the dead of night without warning the Afghan military or any of our NATO allies. The base was operational on July 4, then dark on July 5. AP reported the Afghan military’s surprise at the time. July 5 was a Monday; the Biden administration didn’t announce the exit from Bagram until the following Friday (July 9) but by then the Afghan commander had discovered that the U.S. was gone and shown media around the base. The departure in the night without a handoff to the Afghan command violated U.S. protocols. Typically, U.S. units will hold and operate while an incoming unit or command gets stood up and only hand off command once the incoming unit is ready to lead. This was not done at Bagram.

The U.S. conducts a formal closure ceremony on July 12 and the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Austin “Scott” Miller, departs and is not replaced. Command of Afghanistan reverts to CENTCOM with Gen. Frank McKenzie, based in Tampa, Florida.

The Taliban continues to gain ground.

When Joe Biden speaks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on July 23, the Taliban is marching fast.

In the phone call, Biden first asks Ghani to lie about the facts on the ground, and promises him air support if he will lie, according to Reuters’ transcript of the July 23 call.

“I need not tell you the perception around the world and in parts of Afghanistan, I believe, is that things are not going well in terms of the fight against the Taliban,” Biden said according to the call leaked to Reuters. “And there is a need, whether it is true or not, there is a need to project a different picture.”

Biden continues: “If you empower Bismillah [Defense Minister Bismillah Khan Mohammadi] to execute a strategy focused on key parts of the population centers, and I’m not a military guy, so I’m not telling you what that plan should precisely look like, you’re going to get not only more help, but you’re going to get a perception that is going to change in terms of how , um…[unclear].. our allies and folks here in the States and other places think you’re doing.”

Biden has just pressured Ghani to lie — “whether it is true or not…project a different picture” — and then the U.S. would help. But Ghani had to lie first.

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Continue reading this article, published September 2, 2021 at PJ Media.