Iraq vs. Afghanistan

[Dos Equis]

Some disturbing parallels. 

Iraq

President Obama tasked VP Biden with negotiating a new Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq regarding our troop presence.  VP Biden failed. 

Obama contended Al Qaeda was gone and that ISIS was the "JV team." 

Obama pulled our troops from Iraq.  He then repeatedly bragged about ending the war in Iraq in accordance with his campaign promises.   

Chaos ensued.  ISIS took over most of Iraq and part of Syria.

Obama then claimed he had no choice but to pull all our troops out of Iraq because the SOFA expired. 

Trump is elected POTUS, changes the rules of engagement, puts additional boots on the ground, and we retook all of the ground lost in Iraq and Syria in less than one year.

Afghanistan

Trump negotiates an exit strategy, with us leaving by May. 

Biden is elected and extends the exit date.

Biden pulls 2500 noncombat troops before getting our people out, leaving behind billions of dollars worth of the most sophisticated equipment on the planet.

The Taliban takes over essentially the entire country in days.  Chaos ensues.

Biden then sends 7000 combat troops, but keeps them confined to an airfield (while other countries go "outside the wire") to rescue their people. 

Biden blames Trump, claiming he had no choice but to pull our troops because of the deal Trump negotiated (which assumes the only options were leave by a date Biden chose or stay and fight forever). 

It's actually spooky how similar these scenarios are and that they involve some of the same players. 

[IroNat]

Biden has risen beyond his level of incompetence.

[Dos Equis]

Biden has risen beyond his level of incompetence.

The Peter Principle?

[IroNat]

The Peter Principle?

Yes, except Biden has not just risen to his level of incompetence but exceeded it.

[Thin Lizzy]

The difference is that there was initially a legitimate reason to go to Afghanistan and it turned into an endless war fraud. Iraq was a complete fraud right from the start.

[Dos Equis]

The difference is that there was initially a legitimate reason to go to Afghanistan and it turned into an endless war fraud. Iraq was a complete fraud right from the start.

Different issue.  Even if you assume that is true, I'm talking about the execution of the draw down/withdrawal in both countries.  Same result.  Same actors. 

[residue]

Different issue.  Even if you assume that is true, I'm talking about the execution of the draw down/withdrawal in both countries.  Same result.  Same actors.

there's always the same result when you try to nation build
1) you galvanise\radicalize the locals
2) you waste time\money\lives
3) a couple of people get really rich

[Dos Equis]

there's always the same result when you try to nation build
1) you galvanise\radicalize the locals
2) you waste time\money\lives
3) a couple of people get really rich

I agree nation building does not work. 

Still, there is a right and wrong way to drawn down and/or pull out.  And we probably should have, at a minimum, kept control of one of the airbases.  But what I highlighted in my initial post was the remarkable similarities, mistakes, and lies by the same people.