Donald Trump derides Biden over Afghan pullout, says strategy 'developed by child's mind'

Former United States President Donald Trump on September 28 lambasted his successor Joe Biden’s administration and said that the American troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was “developed by a child’s mind.” In a statement published on his official website on Tuesday, Trump also labelled the US mission of ending the ‘longest war’ and removing its soldiers from the war-torn nation as “botched and embarrassing.” He also said that the withdrawal from Afghanistan “had nothing to do with past administrations or things that happened from 20 years ago.”

Earlier on Tuesday, two top US military officials and the defence secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that Biden was advised to keep at least 2,500 troops in the country in a bid to stop the Taliban from overrunning the Western-imposed government. As per the Associated Press report, Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee pointed to the testimony by General Mark Milley who is the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as evidence that Biden had not been truthful. In a television interview last month, US President had said that the military had not suggested keeping the troops in Afghanistan.

Trump said, “The botched and embarrassingly incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan had nothing to do with past Administrations or things that happened “from 20 years ago,” (other than we should not have been in the Middle East in the first place!). The horrible “withdrawal” was caused, in particular, because the Military was taken out before American citizens and $85 Billion worth of the highest-grade Military equipment anywhere in the world.”

“This withdrawal was developed by a child’s mind, and only the Biden administration is responsible for it. When I left office, the Taliban was held at bay, we had as long as we wanted, there was no reason to rush, no soldiers were killed or even shot at for over 18 months, and if they didn’t meet certain conditions, we would have hit them very hard. But then Biden and Milley removed the Military in one of the dumbest Military moves in history, and it all began. So sad for our Nation!” he added.

Defence Secy justifies pullout; Trump attacks Miley

Meanwhile, in his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, US Defence Secretary Austin justified the pullout while Milley refused to say what advice he gave to Biden when the US President was making a decision on the Trump administration’s agreement with the Taliban to reduce the US troops presence to zero.

When pressed further, Milley told the committee that it was his personal opinion that at least 2,500 troops should be in Afghanistan in order to prevent the collapse of the Kabul government yet again. Trump even attacked Milley in a separate statement on Tuesday saying, “No wonder the Afghanistan withdrawal was such a disaster. “General” Milley spent all of his time talking to these Fake Book writers. That’s not a Soldier or General, that’s a Public Relations agent. America will continue losing with Milley and woke television Generals who are only looking to be stars!”

IMAGE: AP