Ciara Wilson | Opinion Piece
On Aug. 31, President Joe Biden announced that he would withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan. This marks the end of a conflict that has persisted for 20 years, going all the way back to Reagan’s presidency.
This move was controversial for many reasons: some argue that our withdrawal from the Middle East will lead to an increased threat of terrorism and chaos throughout the region. However, I believe that Biden’s withdrawal of U.S. troops was the proper choice for our country.
This decision will lead to less bloodshed for our troops, less trauma for Afghan citizens and a chance for our government to reevaluate our strategy to solve the conflict in the Middle East. The deaths of 13 U.S. troops and 60 Afghans in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport is a grim reminder of the human cost of war.
Throughout the past 20 years, just shy of 50,000 Afghan civilians have died through the conflict. Our current approach to the conflict has only led to more death. Now, with the Taliban in full control of the region, we will need to think differently about how we want to help the citizens under their rule.
With all of the time and money our country has spent in the Middle East, not enough progress has been made to justify our presence there.
