The Hill: 5 Notes from the Week of Chaos in Afghanistan

American deployment site The Hill (

The Hill

, ) a

report

on what he called a

week of

chaos in Afghanistan, and said that there are

five important observations can be deduced from this week.

The report indicated that US President Joe Biden has been criticized this week for the chaos unfolding amid the US withdrawal and the collapse of the Afghan government, and is also under tremendous pressure from bipartisan congressional lawmakers.

He said that while most voters support Biden's decision to withdraw troops, criticism is focused on damage control after the sudden rapid Taliban takeover.

Here are the five notes about Biden's week and the chaos of withdrawal.

1. Biden could regain his popularity if evacuations were successful

While Biden is under fire for his handling of the withdrawal, he may receive a boost if the US military succeeds in evacuating Americans and Afghan allies.

Biden acknowledged on Friday that the evacuation process in Afghanistan was "incredibly difficult and dangerous" for American forces, but he pledged to complete the task, adding that the United States has evacuated more than 18,000 people since July and 13,000 since August 14, and there are Approximately 6,000 US troops are on the ground to provide security on the runways and to assist the departure of civilians.

Biden was firm last Friday when he said his administration would help every American get out before the troops left, but there are significant challenges to achieving this, as the administration depends in part on the Taliban, which patrols the area around the airport.

So far, the administration has not helped Americans get to the airport, though Biden said Friday that officials are considering "every opportunity and every means we can get people to the airport."

2- There will be investigations

Some Democratic-led congressional committees have pledged to seek answers on how to handle the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

While it is too early to say how the investigations will be structured, lawmakers on the House Intelligence Committee are expected to receive a classified briefing from intelligence officials on Monday, when the House returns from this August recess.

Other committees, including the Senate Intelligence, Foreign Relations and Armed Services committees, are expected to hold hearings on the implications.

Meanwhile, Republicans are looking to beat Biden and score political points against Democrats ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

3. Biden needs to reassure anxious allies

Former government officials have expressed concerns about how the situation in Afghanistan might harm the United States' standing on the world stage and the relationship with allies, particularly those with a military presence in Afghanistan.

Biden insisted he sees no detrimental effect on his country's credibility.

It is scheduled to meet Biden and other leaders of the Group of Seven next week to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

In recent days, Biden spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, and said at the time that he had "never sensed any doubts about America's credibility with allies around the world."

4- Biden may not meet the withdrawal deadline

Biden had set an August 31 deadline for US forces to withdraw from Afghanistan, but he said during a television interview on Wednesday that he was committed to staying until every American who wanted to leave, even if that meant missing the deadline he had set himself.

On Friday, Biden opened the door to exceeding the withdrawal deadline by saying that the United States plans to evacuate the remaining holders of special immigrant visas.

5- Afghanistan threat distracts from domestic agenda

Lawmakers return to Washington tomorrow, and the Democratic leadership plans to vote on a budget resolution that will clear the way for $3.5 trillion spending that includes Biden's top legislative priorities.

But the looming threat of congressional investigations into Afghanistan, and the debate over evacuations and refugees that is dividing the Republican Party, will likely pull some focus away from Biden's domestic agenda, including facing the threat of Covid-19 spreading again in parts of the United States where The transmissible "delta variable" is causing concern before the start of the new school year.