Has the US conceded defeat in Afghanistan?

An “extraordinary success” – that is what President Joe Biden called the end of the United States’ longest war.

During an address to his nation, Biden defended his decision to pull troops out of Afghanistan before all Americans were airlifted.

He has faced criticism for the chaos of the past few weeks, as Afghanistan rapidly fell under Taliban control.

But Biden largely blamed Afghan forces who were quickly defeated by the Taliban.

So, should the US have predicted the calamity that came with its withdrawal? And could this hurt its image on the world stage?

Presenter: Dareen Abughaida

Guests:

Ben Hodges – Former director of US Army operations for Regional Command South in Kandahar, Afghanistan

Anza Saqib – Security and defence analyst

David Sedney – Senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; former deputy US assistant secretary of defence for Afghanistan and Pakistan