U.S. Right to Leave Afghanistan: Case for Staying Was Poor

One year ago, the last U.S. troops flew out of Kabul International Airport in the dead of night, ending the longest war in U.S. history. The event was a milestone for the very simple reason that, for the first time in 20 years, Americans could wake up in the morning knowing there isn’t a single U.S. soldier operating on Afghan soil. There were no celebrations or ticker-tape parades: only a collective sense of relief that Washington was disassociating itself from an unwinnable “war.”

Critics of the U.S. troop withdrawal, however, are using the first anniversary of this weighty decision as an opportunity to relitigate the debate on their own terms. Unfortunately for them, the case for staying in Afghanistan remains just as poor as it always was.

About the Author

Daniel R. DePetris

Daniel R. DePetris is a fellow at Defense Priorities and a syndicated foreign affairs columnist at the Chicago Tribune.

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One year ago, the last U.S. troops flew out of Kabul International Airport in the dead of night, ending the longest war in U.S. history. The event was a milestone for the very simple reason that, for the first time in 20 years, Americans could wake up in the morning knowing there isn’t a single U.S. soldier operating on Afghan soil. There were no celebrations or ticker-tape parades: only a collective sense of relief that Washington was disassociating itself from an unwinnable “war.”

Critics of the U.S. troop withdrawal, however, are using the first anniversary of this weighty decision as an opportunity to relitigate the debate on their own terms. Unfortunately for them, the case for staying in Afghanistan remains just as poor as it always was.