When President George W. Bush stood in front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2005, to deliver his presidential address. Second inaugural speechas previously noted in this column, he argued that preserving freedom in the United States requires extending freedom around the world.
“We are led to a conclusion by events and common sense.” President Bush declared. “The survival of freedom in our country increasingly depends on the success of freedom in other countries. Our best hope for peace in the world is the expansion of freedom throughout the world.”
“Therefore, it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every country and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny around the world,” he said.
As Bush said, the United States was already at war He has lived in Afghanistan for over three years. Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader behind the 9/11 attacks; had already run away To Pakistan. and the Taliban regime that gave sanctuary to al-Qaeda. It had been deleted From power.
Sixteen years after President Bush's second inaugural address, President Joe Biden It has been launched In August of the same year, Biden withdrew the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan on January 20, 2021. ISIS-Khorasan suicide bomber Killed 13 American soldiers outside Kabul airport.
The Taliban is regained control That year, they were unable to defeat the remaining ISIS-K terrorists in Afghanistan.
Since the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the Pentagon has been engaged in so-called “activities.” Operation Enduring Sentinel. Last week, the operation's chief inspector general released his latest work Quarterly report covering the period from July 1st to September 30th of this year. “Mission of Operation Enduring Sentinel” This report said:“The goal is to protect the homeland by containing the terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan and maintaining pressure against those threats.''
So what is the situation in Afghanistan?
President Bush's vision of spreading democracy and ending tyranny has not been achieved. Afghan women in particular have failed.
“On August 21, the Taliban issued a new moral edict regulating individual behavior,” he said. inspector general's report. “This edict requires women to wear full-covering clothing, prohibits their voices from being heard in public places, and restricts their movements in the absence of male relatives. .”
Men are also subject to this Taliban directive.
“The edict requires men to grow beards, prohibits drivers from playing music, and restricts the media from publishing images of people,” the inspector general's report said.
So what happens when a woman walks down the street with her head uncovered while talking to a friend? Or does a clean-shaven man drive by while listening to music?
“The Taliban's Ministry of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is enforcing this edict through verbal warnings, confiscation of property, and imprisonment,” the Inspector General's endorsement said.
The report said: “Although enforcement of this new morality edict has not yet been widespread, civil society and human rights activists say it is increasing fear and insecurity among Afghans across the country.'' “There is,” he said.
As in 2001, the United States' primary strategic interest in its response to Afghanistan today is protecting Americans, not promoting democracy there. “The U.S. government's most important enduring interests in Afghanistan are to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a launching pad for terrorist attacks against the United States and to care for the welfare of U.S. nationals held in Afghanistan.” The report said:.
ISIS-K is now a major terrorist group based in Afghanistan.
“According to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), ISIS-K maintains the intent and ability to conduct attacks outside of its traditional areas of operations in South Asia,” the inspector general's report said.
“United Nations Security Council on July 19th The report stated: “The threat posed by ISIS-K is growing, and so is the threat level in Europe and the rest of the world,” the report said. The newspaper said ISIS-K “remains the most serious threat in the region and continues to cause terrorism beyond Afghanistan.”
The report also said the State Department “issued more than 33,000 Afghanistan special immigrant visas in fiscal year 2024, including more than 9,000 in the same quarter.”
The number of “banned” Afghans showing up at the U.S.-Mexico border has also increased significantly during President Joe Biden's tenure. “The Department of Homeland Security reported that Customs and Border Protection encountered 68 noncitizens at the U.S. Southwest border in fiscal year 2022, 342 in fiscal year 2023, and 1,893 noncitizens,” the inspector general's report said. ” he said. -Afghanistan nationals will also be allowed to enter the country in 2024. ”
Did any ISIS terrorists illegally cross the border between ports of entry in 2024?
That some may do so is one reason the Trump administration needs to follow through on its promises to enforce immigration laws and secure the border.
Terrence P. Jeffrey is an investigative editor at the Daily Caller News Foundation. To learn more about Terrence P. Jeffrey and read features from other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website. www.creators.com.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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