Mitch McConnell deploys ridiculous Vietnam analogy in Afghanistan withdrawal debate

Lawrence J. Korb writes about the Trump administration's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s criticisms of the Trump administration’s decision to reduce the number of troops in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500 by January 15, 2021, by comparing it with what he claims were disastrous decisions made in Vietnam in 1975 and Iraq in 2011 are without merit and misleading.

McConnell claims the consequences of what he called a premature exit from Afghanistan would be reminiscent of the humiliating departure of U.S. troops from Vietnam in 1975 and President Obama’s withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011, which he argues, fueled the rise of ISIS and a new round of global terrorism.

The above excerpt was originally published in Responsible Statecraft. Click here to view the full article.

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