Weinstein Comments on US Withdrawal From Afghanistan
Kandahar, Afghanistan (December 25, 2001) — As Christmas Day moves on at a forward operating base in Kandahar, Afghanistan, U.S. Marines of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) move out to the front lines to defend and maintain security throughout the perimeter. U.S. Marines are in Afghanistan operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Photographer’s Mate Johnny Bivera (RELEASED)
Lt Gen Jack Weinstein, USAF (Ret), Professor of the Practice of International Security at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, was quoted in two USA Today articles discussing the United States’ military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban seizing control of the country.
In the first article, titled “Trump claims Afghanistan withdrawal would have been ‘much more successful’ if he were president. Would it?,” Weinstein counters former President Trump’s assertion that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan would have turned out differently under his watch. He claims that there is “zero evidence” Afghan security forces would have operated any differently under a Trump administration or the Taliban would have agreed to any security arrangement. The full article can be read online.
The second article, titled “Taliban’s Afghanistan takeover deals harsh blow to Biden’s ‘America is Back’ foreign policy promise,” more specifically explores President Biden’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan and how the hasty plan may eclipse his other foreign policy accomplishments. While some experts claim that Biden’s withdrawal contradicts his “America is back” foreign policy promise, Weinstein called the decision “extremely courageous” stating, “you can’t focus on all those other activities when you’re mired in Afghanistan.” The full article can be read online.
Jack Weinstein, Lieutenant General, USAF (Ret), served in the U.S. Air Force from 1982 to 2018. Prior to arriving at the Pardee School of Global Studies, he was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters United States Air Force, the Pentagon. In this position, he was responsible to the Secretary and Chief of Staff on all aspects of nuclear deterrence operations providing direction, guidance, integration, and advocacy regarding the nuclear deterrence mission of the U.S. Air Force and engaged with joint, interagency, and NATO to develop nuclear enterprise solutions. Read more about Weinstein on his faculty profile.