America put in the worst position: Donald Trump on Afghan crisis – The Indian Express

Former US President Donald Trump on Friday said that America has been put in the worst position it could possibly be put in, slamming his successor Joe Biden on his Afghan policy.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a costly two-decade war.

The insurgents stormed across the country, capturing all major cities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies melted away.

We have been put in the worst position we could possibly be put in, a position that nobody would have even thought possible, even two weeks ago. Nobody would have thought this would be possible, that we could be in a position like this, where the Taliban and others are dictating and they are the ones saying get out on the 31st, Trump told Fox News in an interview.

I think Biden wanted to stay, but they said, we will not have you come and get out, there will be consequences. You heard that. That was said by the leader of the Taliban. We want you out by the 31st, there will be consequences. What kind of stuff is this? he asked.

Trump said that from the standpoint of military tactics and just embarrassment, this is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to the United States.

We look like fools all over the world. We are weak. We are pathetic, he said.

We are being led by people that have no idea what they are doing. They take the military out, and then they say, now we will bring out the people. And, all of a sudden, the Taliban walks in, Trump said.

The former president said that under his administration, the Taliban were under control. They wouldnt have moved without getting our approval. We had an incredible agreement. They werent killing our soldiers. You know that. And it was part of their in fact, Biden actually said that (in a press conference). He said they werent killing them because of the agreement that we had, that we did, he added.

These (the Taliban) are the people that we had at bay to a level that you wouldnt believe. There was no way that they never even fired on our troops. They didnt again, we didnt lose any troops for and just, like long, extended period of time. Nobody was even fired, frankly, until today, when we had a tragedy take place, and thats because of this agreement, he said.

Unfortunately, Biden didnt follow it because he took the military out first and left everybody open, and I feel very, very badly for the people. They were very loyal to our country, whether its interpreters or others, and they were very loyal to our country, but we certainly are in a bad position. There are always alternatives. You can do things, there are things to do, Trump added.

August 31 is the cut-off date set by both the US and the Taliban for Americas pullout from the war-torn country.

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America put in the worst position: Donald Trump on Afghan crisis - The Indian Express