Kansas City Contemplates Afghanistan Departure

Admittedly, TKC didn't really think this was going to happen . . .

And then, the horrible consequences became clearer . . .

Big picture . .

Is the U.S. Leaving Afghanistan on the Brink of Civil War?

As President Joe Biden withdraws U.S. troops nearly 20 years after the U.S.-led invasion, Afghanistan faces instability on a number of fronts: The Taliban is resurgent; fears of civil war are rising; and a new threat is emerging - Iran's growing influence.

China's ties to Taliban warm ahead of US leaving Afghanistan

BEIJING - (AP) - China's foreign minister met Wednesday with a delegation of high-level Taliban officials as ties between them warm ahead of the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan. A photo posted on the ministry's website showed Wang Yi posing with senior Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and his delegation in the city of Tianjin, then sitting down to talks.

Why the US won't be able to shirk moral responsibility in leaving Afghanistan

The majority of the remaining American troops in Afghanistan were withdrawn recently, with the rest due to leave by the end of August 2021. This withdrawal marks the end of nearly 20 years of American military presence in Afghanistan.

What happens if the Taliban wins in Afghanistan?

"Is the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan inevitable?" That's the question a reporter put to President Joe Biden this week at a press conference on the US's drawdown in Afghanistan. "No, it is not," Biden said, noting that Afghan government troops greatly outnumber the Taliban and are "as well-equipped as any army in the world."

The local angle . . .

As U.S. Troops Leave Afghanistan, Kansas City Veterans Try To Make Sense Of War's Legacy

As members of the Association of the United States Army met for beer call at a hot, sunny rooftop bar in Overland Park, Kansas, their conversation quickly turned to the ongoing withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Three of the five veterans at the table spent time in Afghanistan as Army officers.

You decide . . .