Afghan crisis to dent Biden, GOP's future prospects

Leaving Afghanistan had become a popular position in both parties in recent years, but Republican lawmakers who have embraced the idea of ending “forever wars” have been anxious to distinguish that position from Biden’s execution of it

- Bryan Lowry

WASHINGTON

The chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan may haunt President Joe Biden, but it could also hang over some of the Republicans who will seek to replace him in 2024.

While Biden has to contend with harrowing images of Afghans trying to flee after the Taliban takeover, former President Donald Trump orchestrated the withdrawal agreement and another potential 2024 GOP contender was photographed with the Taliban leader who is now among those taking charge of Afghanistan.

Trump’s deal with the Taliban would have withdrawn US forces by May 1, but Biden delayed the date until Aug. 31.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met last year with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s top political leader, to negotiate terms for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Baradar was released from a Pakistani prison in 2018, a move that US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad in the Trump administration called “my request” during a 2019 speech. Baradar is now one of the key Taliban leaders in Kabul after the group’s capture of the capital city.

The November 2020 photograph of Pompeo standing alongside the Taliban leader circulated widely on social media this month as Pompeo and other former Trump administration officials accused Biden of bungling their withdrawal plan.

Trump, who has not ruled out running for president again, has released a series of furious statements through his Save America PAC to assert that the withdrawal would have been smoother under his leadership.