Where is the leadership? In a blistering speech, Former UK prime minister Theresa May accused the American Government of withdrawing from Afghanistan without contingency planning. The House of Commons angrily aligned across the aisle to hold Joe Biden in contempt for his unilateral withdrawal from Afghanistan without discussing the issues with NATO.
According to British media, Joe Biden would not take the calls from U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson for 36 hours as the crisis unfolded. The British and allied forces were scrambling to secure their own troops and diplomats with no guidance or contact from the White House.
According to the U.K . Telegraph (paywall)– “Joe Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal was condemned as “catastrophic” and “shameful” on Wednesday as the Houses of Parliament delivered an unprecedented rebuke to a US president.
MPs and peers from across the political spectrum, including Boris Johnson, put some blame for the Taliban’s takeover and the chaos that followed on Britain’s closest ally.
Mr Biden was accused of “throwing us and everybody else to the fire” by pulling out US troops, and was called “dishonourable” for criticising Afghan forces for not having the will to fight.
Former defence chiefs who led British troops in the Middle East were among those to speak out, while there were warnings that the West’s withdrawal would embolden Russia and China.
[…] Labour MP Chris Bryant called Mr Biden’s remarks about Afghan soldiers “some of the most shameful comments ever from an American president”.
Khalid Mahmood, a Labour MP and former defence minister, said: “The Biden government have just come in and, without looking at what is happening on the ground, have taken a unilateral decision, throwing us and everybody else to the fire.” (read more – paywall)
Joe Biden is going on vacation.
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) August 20, 2021
Kamala Harris is MIA.
Who is running our country?
Where is the outrage?
No tweet has ever aged so badly so quickly… #YellowBellyJoe pic.twitter.com/vCOZI3uze4
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) August 20, 2021