Taliban fighters patrol Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, August 18, 2021. Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. They declared an "amnesty” across Afghanistan and encouraged women to join their government Tuesday. This was after chaos gripped Kabul's main airport as desperate fleeing crowds attempted to flee.
According to news reports, French and British forces are helping Kabulans trapped behind Taliban lines. Why aren't the United States doing this?
To deal with last week's surprise success, thousands of American troops were sent to Afghanistan. They were sent to Afghanistan to protect Hamid Karzai International airport and help in the evacuation of Afghan refugees and American citizens.
Americans can help those fleeing Afghanistan who have to make the difficult and dangerous trek through Taliban checkpoints. However, the Biden administration hasn't committed to bringing in thousands more Americans who are still outside the wire.
The White House seems to believe that they can do it all on their own.
The Military Times reports that British, French and other troops are moving through Kabul in an effort to rescue their nationals as well as former Afghan officials who were part of the International Security Assistance Force or NATO forces. They could be subject to harsh treatment by the victorious Taliban.
As the Taliban took over Kabul, several hundred British and French special forces and paratroopers deployed to assist isolated civilians. So far, the Taliban have not attempted to interfere.
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The UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter told the BBC that the Taliban kept Kabul's streets calm. Based on this, I believe we can be pretty confident that we are being allowed the space we need to do what we need.
The United States and Taliban reached a deal on Sunday that apparently guaranteed that insurgents would provide airport security for foreigners wishing to leave. The deconfliction mechanism did not allow for U.S. troops or other personnel to carry out rescue operations. It is not clear if other countries have made separate agreements to allow their forces in Kabul.
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Washington's tension with its coalition partners has led to an extended rescue phase due to Washington's failure to notify other Kabul embassies that a quick pullout was possible.
The UK is picking up British, Irish, and Afghan nationals as soon as they reach the pick-up location. These rescue efforts have not been stopped by the Taliban. These daring rescue operations are being resisted by senior American commanders, who fear it could jeopardize the airport security agreement.
Biden's team is very risk-averse
The Biden national security team may be so afraid of risk after the embarrassing failure of its Afghanistan withdrawal strategy, that they don't want to risk U.S forces engaging Taliban and rogue Afghan elements while conducting similar rescue operations.
This approach, however, is too shortsighted and creates the conditions for future crises.
The Americans held hostage in Taliban-controlled Kabul are not going to disappear. Many of them will not have made it to the airport during the crisis, even though the U.S. Embassy issued an order for shelter in place.
If they do not have a way to reach Karzai International, those who are content to stay put will have to rely upon the kindness of the Taliban to make it to the airport's outer perimeter. This is far from safe.
It is crucial to act quickly. At the Talibans' behest, international evacuation efforts use Karzai Airport. The whole operation could be stopped by a few artillery rounds.
Taliban will not be patient indefinitely
Although it is not known how long Kabul's new rulers will allow the United States or other countries to continue to evacuate refugees and citizens, the clock is ticking. People who are left behind by the departure of the last transport will be taken hostage or killed.
Biden's team should be more aggressive in seeking out and rescuing the thousands of Americans trapped.
It is also what British colleagues might refer to as poor form for the world's superpower to not have the fortitude or fortitude to carry out these kinds of rescue missions. This makes the Biden administration appear even weaker and less decisive.
It would be nice to inject some heroism into what has been one the most disastrous national security failures in recent years. Let's get our people out and rescue them all.
James S. Robbins is a member of USA TODAY’s Board of Contributors. He is the author of "This Time We Win. Revisiting The Tet Offensive." Robbins has taught at the National Defense University, Marine Corps University, and was a special assistant to the secretary of Defense during the George W. Bush administration. Follow him on Twitter at @James_Robbins
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This article first appeared on USA TODAY. The Brits are saving Afghan citizens: Why isn’t America?
