Afghanistan troop pullout a 'mistake', says former US president George W. Bush
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Former United States president George W. Bush on Wednesday criticised the withdrawal of Nato troops from Afghanistan and said civilians were being left to be “slaughtered” by the Taliban.
“Laura (Bush) and I spent a lot of time with Afghan women, and they're scared. And I think about all the interpreters and people that helped not only US troops but Nato troops, and it seems like they're just going to be left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people. And it breaks my heart,” Bush told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.
Asked whether he thought the withdrawal was a mistake, Bush replied: “Yes, I think it is.”
Read: 'No smoking, no shaving' — Taliban restore old rules in newly seized Afghan territory
The former Republican president, who sent troops to Afghanistan in autumn 2001 after the September 11 attacks on New York's World Trade Centre, said he believed German Chancellor Angela Merkel “feels the same way”.
Bush said Merkel, who is set to retire from politics later this year after 16 years in power, had brought “class and dignity to a very important position and made very hard decisions”.
US and Nato forces began withdrawing from Afghanistan in early May and are due to completely pull out by September 11, some 20 years after they arrived in the war-torn country.
Most of the 2,500 US and 7,500 Nato troops who were in Afghanistan when US President Joe Biden detailed the final withdrawal in April have now gone, leaving Afghan troops to fight an emboldened Taliban seemingly bent on a military victory.
The country is facing a crisis as the insurgents snap up territory across the countryside, stretching government forces and leading to a fresh wave of internally displaced families, complicated by a renewed outbreak of Covid-19.
Read: Taliban say they control 85pc of Afghanistan
The United Nations said on Sunday the rising conflict is causing “more suffering” across the violence-wracked country as it called for continuous financial aid.
Biden has insisted, however, that it is time for US involvement in the war to end and for Afghans to chart their own future.
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Comments (56) Closed
Jul 14, 2021 07:52pm
It was a mistake to send them in the first place. Afghanistan is the graveyard of empires, whether it was Alexander the Great’s, Soviet Union, or the modern Anglo-Saxon.
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Jul 14, 2021 07:53pm
George Bush is the biggest war criminal of all time. Along with Tony Blair.
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Jul 14, 2021 07:55pm
Who cares for the helpless interpreters and women of Afghanistan!! Everyone ,on top of whom are professional terrorists Taliban has their own agenda.
It is a reality that USA and Pakistan jointly created monsters namely Taliban and now these trained terrorists are let free on common man in Afghanistan.
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Jul 14, 2021 07:56pm
Never missed his tactical brilliance.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:01pm
Biggest terrorist of the earth in this century is this man called "J.W Bush", who killed many innocent people in Afghanistan, & Iraq.
Where is your so called weapon of mass destruction of Iraq??
Constant lair.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:10pm
Bush started fires everywhere on behest of the US arms industry and democrats are trying to put it out as the economy is collapsing.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:17pm
The President who sent US armies to six Muslim countries and killed hundreds of thousands is now worried about rights of Afghan women and interpreters. Astonishingly he still thinks that occupying an other country is no crime but those who fight for independence are terrorists.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:19pm
YOU (GB) is the same crook who destroyed Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria and directly responsible for all this mess. No one gives a toss as to what you think. World has moved on from your obsolete mind set.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:24pm
Let USA army & it’s allies to get stuck in Afghanistan for next 20yrs is they can not win this war
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Jul 14, 2021 08:35pm
America abandons its friends.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:45pm
Who is giving this statement, killer of millions of innocent people.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:47pm
US troop pullout is an important lesson for the next country the Americans invade.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:49pm
@Chrís Dăń, real terrorists are Bush, Blair, Obama, Western World and NATO forces who killed innocent civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and other muslim states.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:52pm
He killed millions of innocent civilians on fake report of weapons of mass destruction. And he killed Saddam because he tried to kill his "dad", what a joke.
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Jul 14, 2021 08:53pm
It is strange how one becomes intelligent after leaving the office. Afghanistan has been bombed to ruins and now we think only of the interpretors. How about a international MARSHAL aid with no questions raised?
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Jul 14, 2021 09:05pm
American public didn't care one way or the other. But Trump and Biden were correct - if Afghan's aren't prepared to defend themselves after 20 yrs they never will be.
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Jul 14, 2021 09:21pm
Who's this Bush? My history is very weak
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Jul 14, 2021 09:24pm
Time to move on. If last 20 years were not enough then what makes people think another 20 years will do?
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Jul 14, 2021 09:31pm
US never make mistakes. It knows only one thing that is it's interest. This is not the first time that US left their friends at the mercy of their enemies. That is how the biggest super power of the world is.
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Jul 14, 2021 09:38pm
US should give visas to all interpreters
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Jul 14, 2021 09:38pm
US invasion of Afghanistan IS an unprecedented crime.
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Jul 14, 2021 09:58pm
The colonial geopolitcal games are lethally complex.and murderous.
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Jul 14, 2021 10:11pm
That’s rich coming from a mass murderer who killed a million in Iraq
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Jul 14, 2021 10:13pm
This guy got hit by a shoe
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Jul 14, 2021 10:17pm
Look who is talking, obviously, he doesn't want to admit defeat after over twenty years occupation of Afghanistan, no peace was restored except chaos, poverty and political instability. The fact is that USA and NATO have been forced to leave Afghanistan - this is the ground reality and world acknowledge this hard truth.
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Jul 14, 2021 10:39pm
@janan, You must be a teenager, born after 2008?
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Jul 14, 2021 10:43pm
Send them back or send Indians in!
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Jul 14, 2021 10:53pm
This guy is the biggest terrorist of the century himself. He finds solace in the misery and destruction of poor nations. People like him should be rotting in jail.
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Jul 14, 2021 11:11pm
He's right ..... the last time they left it resulted in a mess. This time the departure was certainly not thought through properly. After sitting in a country for twenty years a certain responsibility shifts to you...and America has abandoned that responsibility by admitting defeat and fleeing.
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Jul 14, 2021 11:21pm
He should be tried as a war criminal.
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Jul 14, 2021 11:26pm
The former 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush is 100 percent right on this issue as far as U.S. interests in the world in general and South Asia in particular are concerned.
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Jul 14, 2021 11:44pm
As usual criticising but providing no solution. He did enough damage already with the illegal invasion of Iraq, failure in Afghanistan, adventures which destabilized the entire region. Please stay out.
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Jul 14, 2021 11:45pm
@Chrís Dăń, as opposed to what? The misadventures which created Daesh?
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Jul 15, 2021 12:28am
@AP, ... and Afghanistan itself gives a look of a graveyard
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Jul 15, 2021 12:45am
Why is he dragging Merkel in this conflict? She didn't say anything. Bush is a lier. He responsible for killing thousands of people in Afghanistan.
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Jul 15, 2021 01:02am
@janan, he is a mass murderer.
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Jul 15, 2021 01:21am
George bush is 100% right
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Jul 15, 2021 02:57am
George W Bush is the biggest criminal of this time and butcher of Muslims and destruction of humanity.
The bombs he used have contributed to “Climate change”
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Jul 15, 2021 03:06am
Bush was the most dumb USA president ever. He became accidentally president.
What Biden is doing a sensible approach to this lengthy conflict as Talibans will not let USA to succeed. Why USA must impose her way of government on Afghanistan?
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Jul 15, 2021 03:12am
@Sameer ,
When America had a friend? There is a saying "If you have a friend like the USA, you don't need an enemy."
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Jul 15, 2021 03:22am
Bush the ignorant.
USA has no right to be in foreign lands and massacre men, women and children.
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Jul 15, 2021 03:22am
He is envious of the Taliban for having the chance to get the people of Afghanistan killed. He wants exclusive rights to the genocide of those people by NATO and its master.
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Jul 15, 2021 03:24am
@Akram, Agree
Bush and Tony and John should be tried in the International Justice Court for their criminal acts in the guise of politicians.
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Jul 15, 2021 04:08am
No, it will be better, not how you slaughtered thousands based on lies. Get lost.
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Jul 15, 2021 04:29am
It was a mistake to go in there in the first place, so pulling out is not as bad.
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Jul 15, 2021 04:37am
Bush, Chenny, Blair and co are war criminals and should be tried in ICJ. He has no shame to be still making comments.
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Jul 15, 2021 05:33am
@AP, it was not Afghanistan at the time of Alexander the great.. just saying.
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Jul 15, 2021 05:46am
@janan, Do you know how to google?
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Jul 15, 2021 05:54am
@Sameer , only exception is Israel
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Jul 15, 2021 06:36am
@Chrís Dăń, your bold comments without concrete proof can be constituted totally asinine! Sincerely
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Jul 15, 2021 07:52am
9/11 was a big drama and lies of the 21st century and the truth will come out sooner than later to
the American people and the world.
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Jul 15, 2021 08:06am
@Chrís Dăń, you Indians and Israeli created the TTP to use it to destabilize the whole region
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Jul 15, 2021 08:32am
Mr bush! Did you care civilians while airstriking on masses?On other hand, TLBs assured the security of all its citizens in return for faith.
You people aren't comparable.
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Jul 15, 2021 09:13am
Aren't many Taliban the surviving descendents of the Afghan mothers killed under the watch of a very brutal and dishonest WMD, JWB? Havn't these Taliban signed a peace agreement with US? Haven't they provided safe passage to US men and women in Uniform?
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Jul 15, 2021 10:27am
George Bush Jr and Tony Blair are guilty of manslaughter as they lied about Iraq having weapons of mass destruction and lodged an unjust war against Iraq killing thousands of innocence people. I think both should be tried by the international court of justice. Also George Bush is guilty of artificially creating the attack on World trade center. The US has been very ruthless in its policies and even shameful failures have not stopped them in continuing thier aggressive policies. .
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Jul 15, 2021 11:13am
US made the mistake by attacking Afghanistan not by existing Afghanistan.
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