Seeing a bright silver lining for Kabul

I see a brighter silver lining regarding Kabul. Afghan civilians will be safer. On CBS’s “Sunday Morning” 8/15/2021, their “Milepost” by Brown University’s Costs of War Project reads: 2,442 U.S. troops killed, 3,800 U.S. private security contractors killed, “At least 47,245 Afghan civilians killed (as of mid-April).

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s “Doha-Deal” won the 2020 pledge from Taliban’s leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar that they “will not allow anyone to use Afghan soil against the U.S. and other countries.” Our side of the deal is recognizing the Taliban, which is our word. We tolerate their liberty to live by Sharia Law, their tribal legal code, only in their own backyard, thank you. Truth is the Taliban are Afghanistan’s “freedom fighters,” earlier the mujaheddin, who have always believed in the God of Abraham. They teamed up with “our advisors” to defeat our Cold War opponents, the Soviet Union, who had invading them. And now they have persevered.

Due to the sooner than expected Taliban’s Kabul return, President Biden’s stance to send in our military for makeshift beachhead at the airport to rescue +11,0000 American citizens, plus many more Afghans who “want out,” is our moral obligation. But, it is interesting that the only governments not “scrambling to evacuate are: (1) Russia, (2) China and (3) Pakistan. We have recognized the Taliban as the new Country of Afghanistan. This means keeping our U.S. embassy in Kabul. This is where we need to have our eyes open.

— Richard Burrill, Chico