Afghanistan miracle

I see the Afghan president says he fled the country to save bloodshed. Did he not think that if he had stayed, the Afghan troops might have had more incentive to stay and fight? And then the Taliban would not have advanced so quickly. Also, if President Trump hadn’t removed so many service members from Afghanistan last year, there would have been more U.S. troops there to defend the evacuation.

I am reminded of World War II when the Germans rapidly invaded France. French Gen. de Gaulle quickly fled France for safety in England, leaving his troops to fight a rearguard action alongside British troops. Many French troops threw away their guns and fled back to their homes, while many others retreated with the British to the beaches of Dunkirk. The evacuation of so many British and French troops by the “little ships” under German bombardment is still regarded as a small miracle by the British.

That the Americans managed to evacuate so many Americans, and Afghans, despite the swift takeover by the Taliban, should also be regarded as a little miracle, not something to be criticized.

Valerie Derks

Deer Park