Sticking to His Delusion

Rejecting all calls to extend the US military presence in Afghanistan, President Biden is sticking to his delusional Aug. 31 deadline, even as the White House seems to admit that it’ll be impossible to complete the evacuation by then.

Worse, he finished the day with remarks, delayed for hours, in which he mostly talked about his domestic agenda amid the foreign crisis. Oh, and held out the chance that troops might stay longer — on the day that the final pullout actually began, leaving the remaining forces even less able to hold on should the president change his mind.

Rather than heed the counsel of US allies who fought beside us, Biden is yielding to the Taliban, which blustered that any extension would cross their “red line.” They clearly think he fears any confrontation, and it sure looks like they read him right.

Yet even House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is freaking out. “I think it’s possible but I think it’s very unlikely given the number of Americans who still need to be evacuated,” he said Monday. “It’s hard for me to imagine that all of that can be accomplished between now and the end of the month.”

More: “I’m certainly of the view that we maintain a military presence for as long as is necessary to get all US persons out and to meet our moral and ethical obligations to our Afghan partners.”

Even friendly media are calling out the White House’s denial of reality. CNN reporter Sam Kiley, for example, damned the “political spin” of White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki insisting it’s “irresponsible” to say Americans have been left “stranded” in Kabul — since ample news reporting shows that’s so.

Whether he’s being stubborn, having a prolonged senior moment or really fears the Taliban, Biden is guaranteeing that thousands of innocents, including hundreds of American citizens, will be left to the Taliban’s un-tender mercies. This will go down as one of the most shameful moments in US history.