Razões escondidas e maus presságios

One of the reasons the United States ended up with this messy pullout is because the Pentagon overplayed its hand in 2009. Insiders say Biden remains resentful over the role the brass played during the deliberations that led President Barack Obama to agree to a surge in Afghanistan. As vice president, Biden opposed deploying more troops and felt military leaders took advantage of a neophyte president by presenting him limited options and selectively leaking to the press to box him in.

Biden took the top job determined not to get rolled again by the brass. Austin and Milley advocated keeping 3,000 to 4,500 troops in the country, in addition to air support and contractors to help the Afghan army. The president felt he was showing intestinal fortitude by resisting pressure to maintain a residual force, which he insists would have led to an escalation of the conflict.

In making the “strategic” decision to get out, and setting the Aug. 31 deadline for withdrawal, Biden insists he followed the “tactical” recommendations of the commanders on how best to do so, which included giving up Bagram. Ultimately, though, the president has repeatedly told Americans that the buck stops with him.

         — James Hohmann in WP- The Kabul evacuation illuminated a dangerous strain of thought in the military about civilian control