Trump's plans for Afghanistan, August 21, 2017

After commending our brave men and women who have served in our longest war. . .

"My original instinct was to pull out -- and, historically, I like following my instincts. But all my life I've heard that decisions are much different when you sit behind the desk in the Oval Office; in other words, when you're President of the United States. So I studied Afghanistan in great detail and from every conceivable angle. After many meetings, over many months, we held our final meeting last Friday at Camp David, with my Cabinet and generals, to complete our strategy. I arrived at three fundamental conclusions about America’s core interests in Afghanistan.

First, our nation must seek an honorable and enduring outcome worthy of the tremendous sacrifices that have been made, especially the sacrifices of lives. The men and women who serve our nation in combat deserve a plan for victory. They deserve the tools they need, and the trust they have earned, to fight and to win.

Second, the consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable. 9/11, the worst terrorist attack in our history, was planned and directed from Afghanistan because that country was ruled by a government that gave comfort and shelter to terrorists. A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and al Qaeda, would instantly fill, just as happened before September 11th. 

"And, as we know, in 2011, America hastily and mistakenly withdrew from Iraq. As a result, our hard-won gains slipped back into the hands of terrorist enemies. Our soldiers watched as cities they had fought for, and bled to liberate, and won, were occupied by a terrorist group called ISIS. The vacuum we created by leaving too soon gave safe haven for ISIS to spread, to grow, recruit, and launch attacks. We cannot repeat in Afghanistan the mistake our leaders made in Iraq.

Third and finally, I concluded that the security threats we face in Afghanistan and the broader region are immense. Today, 20 U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations are active in Afghanistan and Pakistan -- the highest concentration in any region anywhere in the world."

How very different was Trump's vision from the cowardly betrayal of the Biden Abandonment. Biden has besmirched the memory of all the soldiers who fought there, following 4 presidents, and allowed Afghanistan to again be the launching place of terrorist attacks.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/08/21/trump-afghanistan-speech-text-241882

"But we will no longer use American military might to construct democracies in faraway lands, or try to rebuild other countries in our own image. Those days are now over. Instead, we will work with allies and partners to protect our shared interests. We are not asking others to change their way of life, but to pursue common goals that allow our children to live better and safer lives. This principled realism will guide our decisions moving forward."

But there was no "principled realism" in the Biden's Abandonment. It was shameful, and now he's making mandates about vaccines in order to cover for his ugly behavior. And our children and those in the middle east and Israel will certainly NOT have better and safer lives.

It's OK to be angry

It’s Okay to be Angry says Dutch Sheets

"I do not think it appropriate today to release a post that ignores the events of the past couple of weeks. Like many of you, my emotions are pretty raw. Though my faith is strong, still, I’m a mix of anger, grief, sadness, shame, and embarrassment. Faith and hope do not insulate against grief, nor do they demand denial.

I’m angry that my nation is led by weak, unprincipled liars.
I’m angry that the innocent have and will suffer - mercilessly.
I’m angry that brave young women and men pay for the stupidity, arrogance, and selfish ambition of spineless bureaucrats, lying politicians, senile puppets, and woke, incompetent, military leaders.

I grieve, realizing the horror experienced by 80-year-old Americans in Afghanistan who were heartlessly abandoned by their government.
I grieve over mothers and small children beaten by demonized animals as they tried to get to the Kabul airport.
I grieve over busloads of them who were stopped and turned away by the “new and different” Taliban.
I grieve for the pregnant woman kicked in her stomach for trying to flee from our government’s “trusted” new partners.
I grieve over those who made it to the airport gates only to be turned away by our “honorable” military leaders.
I grieve for the 13 young Americans and their families who needlessly lost their lives, as well as for the 150 or so innocent Afghans who were blown to pieces.

I am saddened by all of the above.
I am saddened because I know the suffering isn’t over.
I am saddened because I know none of it was necessary.
And I am saddened that some of my brothers and sisters will be martyred.

I am ashamed and embarrassed for my country.
I am ashamed because we have unprincipled leaders.
I am embarrassed that Americans would give a senile, incompetent liar the most powerful position in the world.
I am embarrassed as our shameless government and military leaders, those responsible for all of this, pat themselves on the back with disgusting self-adulation and sycophancy while the torture and beheadings begin. (We’re not surprised that a nation with our wealth, resources, and a military as dedicated and well-trained as ours can evacuate as many people as they did from Afghanistan in 2 weeks. Stop back-slapping yourselves over this. We’re surprised that you wouldn’t allow this well-trained force to go outside the walls and get the rest! And that you took orders from terrorists.)
I am ashamed and embarrassed that we turned our backs on friends, fellow warriors (then called them cowards), allies, and helpless women and children.
I am embarrassed that many of our leaders who wept and ran in fear on January 6th while their desks were overturned and windows broken - and won’t stop talking about it - can smile and boast as they talk about Afghanistan.

Having dumped my all-too-human emotion on you, I want to leave you with a dose of faith and hope...because I still believe! It is imperative that we not give up or grow cynical. Go ahead and grieve - just as I am - but get up and march on! Use the anger; don’t let it use you. We WILL win.

I believe God is good and will infuse redemption into this evil.
I believe principalities are being judged and will be dislodged by Christ and His church.
I believe many Afghans will turn from Islam and to Christ because of the tragic suffering.
I believe this will spread to other people and nations in the region. I believe the Arab World, the Middle East, and other Muslim nations will receive an earth-shaking revival.
I believe America, too, will experience revival.
I believe the EKKLESIA will accomplish everything Jesus said she would accomplish.
I believe the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

2 Corinthians 4:7-9 says, “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” (NASB)

“We are like common clay jars that carry this glorious treasure within so that this immeasurable power will be seen as God’s, not ours. Though we experience every kind of pressure, we’re not crushed. At times we don’t know what to do, but quitting is not an option. We are persecuted by others, but God has not forsaken us. We may be knocked down, but not out.” (TPT)

Pray with me:

Father, once again we appeal to You for mercy. We are not asking for what we deserve, we are asking for Your lovingkindness and mercy, which You love to bestow. We plead the precious blood of Jesus over America, asking You to forgive her and restore her fully to your ways and precepts. Revive us; give us Your mercy.

We also ask You for a wind of Your Spirit to blow all across the earth. We ask for this wind to destroy Your enemies and redeem those who are willing to respond to You. Rescue billions of people from sin and darkness. We ask for dreams and visions to be given to those who don’t know You. We ask that angels be sent to show them the truth about Jesus and who He really is. We ask for Jesus to literally appear to many, also.

And we pray for the precious people of Afghanistan. We pray for comfort, deliverance, protection, salvation, and the breaking of the hold of this evil regime. Work miracles to reverse what has occurred there. And for those who are relocated to other nations, may they find Jesus there. We pray these things in Christ’s name. Amen.

Our decree:

We decree that great revival is coming to the people of Afghanistan, and to many others in the Muslim world."

Dutch Sheets, September 1, 2021, Facebook

The Art of War, Joe Biden's version