America's moral responsibility for the tragedy unfolding in Afghanistan

former Secretary of State Colin Powell’s advice to then-President George W. Bush about the invasion of Iraq – codified as the “Pottery Barn rule” after the perceived store policy: If “you break it, you bought it.” That is: If you make yourself the ruler over others, you are responsible for them, and what happens to them should be on your conscience.

George W Bush practically ignored Afghanistan so he could focus on Iraq. he said himself that he thought 'that bin Laden wasn't a concern for us anymore'. Now look at this. Can you say 'Saigon 2'?

And the same goes for Iraq. Rotten as Saddam Hussein was, he wasn't responsible for 9/11 in any way and had no designs against the USA, ever. But then-VP Dick Cheney sure got their pocketbooks fat, didn't they?

The Obama administration got bin Laden offed and withdrew US forces out of that wasteful Iraq War. in the meantime he launched an air and sea war to help Libyan rebels overthrow the terrormonger Qaddafy, who always was a danger and a menace to Europe, Middle East, half of Africa and everything in between.

The aftereffects got worse for Iraq, however when ISIL rose out of te ashes and started their genocidal blitzkrieg crap. If Iraq was left alone that would've never happened and the 'Pottery Barn Rule' certainly applies there. And it applies for Afghanistan now.

Maybe the Afghans should have actually fought off the Taliban to save their own country and not depend of America for another 20 years?

Think?

The first, and most important, ethical question might be: Was the United States justified in withdrawing its troops?

Actually, the first, and most important, ethical question might be: Was the United States justified in invading Afghanistan?

The Taliban had offered to hand over Bin Laden if the U.S. could provide proof of his involvement in 9/11. However, Bush merely replied "There's no need to discuss innocence or guilt. We know he's guilty".

Another important, ethical question might be: Why did the United States arm the Pashtun tribesmen (later to become known as the Taliban) in order to overthrow the democratically elected government of Afghanistan (under which women enjoyed the same rights as European women)?

Biden owns all responsibility for the ramifications of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

In the President's recent ABC interview, Biden referred to our hasty withdrawal saying "it was inevitable that chaos would ensue no matter when we left". He also mentioned in his address to the nation on Monday (referring to why we stayed past May 1st) "we were clear-eyed about the risk, we planned for every contingency".

Can anyone explain these opposing statements? I'll wait.

There is no need to panic, the Taliban have stated that their intentions are peaceful, and that no one need fear reprisals for cooperating with the allies, and that the rights of women and minorities will be respected.

Islam is a religion of peace, and a Taliban rule is what the majority of Afghans wanted rather than the imposition of foreign rules by the allied forces.

Let the Afghanis live in peace, they deserve to be left alone after decades of being subjected to foreign meddling.

Strange how everyone has forgotten the Vietnamese war: 53,000 American soldiers killed; 2 million Vietnamese; Agent orange used to defoliate jungles still resulting in birth defects; Mai Lai slaughter of innocent women and children. We saw all of this on the 7 o'clock news. Then the withdrawal and thousands escaping in boats and any other means possible. They worried back then that the communists would expand from Vietnam to take over the Philippine islands, Thailand, etc .... The famous domino theory. WRONG. Now we trade freely with all of Vietnam.

The USA should've learned its lesson. But no. The war in Afghanistan was an error. Period. What is happening there is sad but in no way begins to the Vietnamese war.

President Eisenhower said to beware of the military industrial complex back in the 1950's. They always profit from every war. Pitiful ...

Of course, the US has a moral responsibility.

An Afghani NBC correspondent being interviewed by Rachel Maddow on TV said he saw not only American, but Turkish, Spanish, and Norwegian troops at the airport, as well as Afghani special forces, so it is not just Americans trying to help out.

Does America feel it has any moral responsibility? I doubt it. Did America feel any moral responsibility to Vietnam, to Cambodia when it installed the unpopular dictator Lon Nol which made the Khmer Rouge as his opponent more powerful, in fact powerful enough to overthrow Lon Nol. Did America later feel any moral responsibility when it supported the Khmer Rouge as they opposed Vietnam? Did America feel, or does America feel any moral responsibility to the peoples of Central and South America for its support of right-wing dictators with their death squads such as Pinochet, the people of Nicaragua for its support of the Contras.

No, America feels these people are ungrateful for not accepting American style "democracy" with rigged elections that choose the candidate America wants.

Will America ever learn that its help is often not wanted, and what it tries to do? The Afghan regime it installed was so corrupt, it reminds one of the Marcos regime in the Philippines and so many other regimes America saw as friends.