Hanson says Biden's Afghanistan exit shattered U.S. deterrence and handed weapons to terrorists

Victor Davis Hanson reflects on the fifth anniversary of the U.S. departure from Afghanistan, describing it as the most severe military disgrace since the 1975 evacuation of Saigon. He claims the Biden administration abandoned a fortified Bagram base, ignored warnings that the Afghan army was not viable, and transferred a vast arsenal—estimated between seven and fifty billion dollars—to the Taliban, who have since redistributed the gear to other jihadist groups.

Hanson attributes the botched exit to false assurances from Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, as well as to DEI policies that he says caused a 40,000-to-50,000 personnel shortfall. He further asserts that the episode eroded global deterrence, a point he says Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted in his own analysis. The commentator also criticizes the handling of evacuees, noting that many pro-American Afghans were left behind and that the evacuation flights included individuals with terrorist ties. Overall, Hanson portrays the withdrawal as a self-inflicted strategic disaster that damaged U.S. credibility.