The Kabul bombings demonstrate the lie of a bloodless occupation
The bombings at the Kabul airport on Thursday is a reminder of a fundamental truth: War is an ugly, bloody, violent affair.
That may seem self-evident, even simple. Everybody has heard the "war is hell" cliché at some point. But it bears repeating at this moment, while Americans argue furiously about the wisdom of withdrawing from Afghanistan, because so much of the argument for staying depends on a vision of the war there being essentially bloodless.
"Mr. Biden's decision to withdraw all U.S. forces destroyed an affordable status quo that could have lasted indefinitely at a minimum cost in blood and treasure," former Ambassador Ryan Crocker wrote last week in a lacerating essay for The New York Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"In the last several years, the United States has maintained a relatively small force in Afghanistan, largely devoted to providing surveillance, logistics, and air cover for Afghan forces while taking minimal casualties," columnist Bret Stephens offered. "Any American president could have maintained this position almost indefinitely — with no prospect of defeating the Taliban but none of being routed by them, either."
There is something disturbing about the casual disregard for American lives underlying those statements: "Minimal" casualties means only a few soldiers killed or maimed, only a few families back home devastated by the loss of their loved ones. Even if you accept that idea, Crocker and Stephens and the other hawks aren't really arguing that the sacrifice is worth it, but rather that there won't be any real sacrifice at all.
The Kabul attacks demonstrate the lie of that notion. As of this writing, at least three U.S. troops were reportedly injured in the blast — and it won't be surprising if the casualty numbers go higher. As a number of commenters have pointed out over the last two weeks, a primary reason American forces have suffered so few casualties in recent months is because the Taliban expected U.S. forces to exit. If Biden had abandoned that commitment, the bloodless war would've turned bloody again. (For Afghans, of course, the war never stopped being bloody.)
Would it have been worth it? For a long time, Americans thought so. They don't anymore. The costs of the war — both in lives and in money — are now far more evident than the benefits. A new round of U.S. casualties probably won't change many minds.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
7 restaurants that beat winter at its own chilly game
The Week Recommends Classic, new and certain to feed you well
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: December 24, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 24, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Iran and Israel: is all-out war inevitable?
Talking Points Tehran has vowed revenge for assassinations of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, but Gaza ceasefire could offer way out
By The Week UK Published
-
Grant Shapps goes to war on military's 'woke' diversity policies
Talking Point Defence secretary condemns 'extremist culture' as Army reportedly plans to relax security checks on overseas recruits
By The Week UK Published
-
The Taliban’s ‘unprecedented’ crackdown on opium poppy crops in Afghanistan
feature Cultivation in former poppy-growing heartland Helmand has been slashed from 120,000 hectares to less than 1,000
By Julia O'Driscoll Published
-
Ben Roberts-Smith: will more Afghanistan war crimes trials follow?
Today's Big Question Former SAS soldier lost defamation case against Australian newspapers that accused him of murder
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
Can the UK rely on the British Army to defend itself?
Today's Big Question Armed forces in ‘dire state’ and no longer regarded as top-level fighting force, US general warns
By The Week Staff Published
-
Taliban releases 2 Americans held in Afghanistan
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Putin's nightmare
Talking Point How Russia’s reckless czar is making his worst fears come true
By William Falk Published
-
American detained in Afghanistan for over 2 years released in prisoner exchange
Speed Read
By Theara Coleman Published