President Joe Biden’s administration last Thursday laid the blame on President Donald Trump for the horrific withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021. While we will continue to see back and forth on who is to blame, the focus should be on the future and helping those still stuck in Afghanistan, according to retired Vice Admiral Robert Murrett. Murrett is a professor of practice at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School and deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law. He writes:
Robert Murrett
“The Administration’s report on the Afghanistan withdrawal provides some insight into factors leading to the tragic events of August 2021. Most of the report itself – and the discussion which followed release of the report – centered around responsibility for the near and long-term circumstances in the weeks leading up the final departure on August 30th, all of which certainly could have been handled better.
Having said that, we should focus on the future, and what the U.S. and our allies can do to alleviate the humanitarian needs and repression that we witness every day in Afghanistan. The human rights violations (particularly against women), rampant poverty and regional insurgency impact are all factors that cry for continued involvement there. Aside from all the individuals that we left behind and the good of the overall population, we cannot ignore the instability and lack of governance that presents a human cost – and a security threat to the entire region. While it is a difficult mission for the U.S. and other western nations to address these issues while the Taliban is in power, ignoring the persistent challenges in Afghanistan will not make the task easier as time goes on.”
If you’d like to schedule an interview with retired Vice Adm. Robert Murrett, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.
