The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) editorial board has heavily criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for her role in the Afghanistan withdrawal under President Joe Biden’s administration, highlighting the potential risks and failures associated with the decision in an op-ed published on Monday. This comes as the third anniversary of a terrorist bombing in Afghanistan was marked, where 13 Americans lost their lives as the United States exited from the country amidst a botched rollout initiated by President Biden’s administration.
In her statement, Vice President Kamala Harris expressed her honor for the sacrifice made by those who were killed during this tragic event but did not express any regrets over what happened prior to the bombing taking place. She stated that “President Biden made the courageous and right decision to end America’s longest war.
The WSJ editorial board criticized the withdrawal as a “tantamount to an indefensible failure” on the part of President Biden, pointing out that he chose to disregard the advice of almost all of his advisors who warned that setting a specific date for a total retreat would most likely lead to the collapse of the Afghan government and a subsequent Taliban takeover. The editorial board argued that keeping a few thousand troops stationed in Afghanistan to support the local forces could have prevented such a catastrophe from unfolding, as well as its consequent ramifications.
The op-ed quoted Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, who was responsible for Central Command at the time, during an appearance on the School of War podcast. He stated that the consequences of the collapse and the withdrawal of American forces were severe, with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, China’s growing boldness, and ISIS-K gaining more ground in Afghanistan being just some examples.
The WSJ editorial board ended the op-ed by emphasizing that both President Biden and Vice President Harris had been warned about the potential consequences of their decision, yet chose to push forward with it regardless. The board expressed concern over the possibility that if Ms. Harris were to win in November’s election, this failure could be indicative of more difficulties and failures on her part as a potential Commander-in-Chief.
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