What is the impact of withdrawal from Afghanistan on America's global alliances? Why is it likened to the "Saigon" moment in Vietnam?

WASHINGTON -

How will US failure and withdrawal from Afghanistan affect Washington's military alliances in East Asia (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan), and Western Europe (NATO countries)?

A question widely circulated in political and intellectual circles in the United States, inspired by the American withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Some commentators have described the fall of Kabul as a historic moment similar to the “Saigon moment” for the administration of US President Joe Biden, in reference to the killing of US allies in Vietnam after the US withdrawal from it, especially after the recent attacks outside Kabul Airport. "The moment of the nationalization of the Suez Canal" in 1956, a crisis that was linked to the beginning of the decline of Britain's global power, and its comparison with what could result in Washington's relationship with its allies in Western Europe and East Asia.

Contrary to what observers see, the decision to withdraw the US from Afghanistan did not significantly undermine European or Asian confidence in the United States as the leader of the free liberal world, and instead - according to experts with whom Al Jazeera Net spoke - the withdrawal from Afghanistan is a good opportunity to rearrange priorities. Washington according to a global strategy, instead of limiting itself to the issue of combating terrorism.

Withdrawal Challenges

But this does not mean that the Biden administration does not care about the negative impact of withdrawal, especially with Biden and his senior staff claiming to have extensive experience in foreign policy, and for NATO, the disaster must prompt him to redirect his focus to core European issues, including Its eastward expansion and management of its relationship with Russia, while the withdrawal from Afghanistan represents good news for Washington's Asian allies, who want Washington to pay attention and focus on the broader threats posed by China.

NATO

The European allies chose to participate in the Afghanistan war 20 years ago out of solidarity with the American ally and not in defense of European security interests.

NATO participated in America's war on terror, but disagreement over the nature of the mission was simmering from the start.

The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan came after the two parties spent more than two trillion dollars over 20 years, on what some may see as a marginal European strategic interest, and the withdrawal showed not only the mismanagement of the withdrawal process by the Biden administration, but also clearly demonstrated the reliance of the armies The European Union over the United States, and its inability to a large extent alone to carry out large-scale missions abroad, without the major enablement and support of the United States.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, the expert in the European Security Program at the Center for Policy and Strategic Policy in Washington, Pierre Morcos, said, "It is not surprising that the rapid fall of Kabul has caused a shock in various parts of Europe, and sparked a fierce debate among European leaders about its repercussions on the NATO partnership, except The association of NATO's intervention in Afghanistan and its withdrawal from it with American timing showed the depth of the connection between the two parties."

Biden's decision to withdraw his country's forces before next September 11 angered many European (European) countries

Pierre Morcos told Al Jazeera Net that "many European countries felt angry when President Biden announced in April 2021 his intention to withdraw American forces before next September 11, as they considered that they were facing a fait accompli, because they had more forces on the ground than their counterparts." However, these countries were not consulted about the decision to withdraw and its timing.

Marcus noted that while NATO allies should welcome the shift in focus on core strategic issues, they should also note some troubling trends, including the persistence of "America First" policies since they were introduced by former US President Donald Trump and were not ignored by Biden.

Many experts believed that the decision to withdraw the US was driven by internal political considerations, and not by balances on the ground inside Afghanistan, and the decision undermined the NATO slogan "Together, Together", and left the Europeans with no alternative but to leave with the United States, after it was ignored in reaching the decision. On the part of Washington, Marcus said.

East Asia

Both Japan and South Korea contributed to the support of their American ally in its war in Afghanistan in a non-combat symbolic way, and the two countries spent more than $10 billion in various development programs in the field of infrastructure and education.

Afghanistan is not of great importance to East Asian countries, but because Afghanistan possesses many valuable minerals, and it has a border in the east of the country with China;

This prompted a trio of Washington's allies and China's enemies to pay attention to the repercussions of the events in Afghanistan.

In an interview with Al Jazeera Net, Yun Sun, an expert on US-Asian relations at the Stimson Institute, indicated that in the near term Washington will be largely distracted by the withdrawal, but she believed that the withdrawal would give the United States the ability to focus on the most important strategic competition with China, as it represents the eastern region. Asia is the main stage of competition.

However, Yun Sun told Al Jazeera Net that "it remains to be seen if this will translate into more military presence in the region, but the United States will at least take care of the region without diverting its attention to Afghanistan."

Yun Sun considered that "Washington's three allies (Japan, South Korea and Taiwan) are on the front line in competition with China, and therefore they should not worry about the security commitment of the United States, unless the latter decides to withdraw from its dominant role in the Western Pacific, and is not expected to Nobody is going to have that happen any time soon."

Yun Sun acknowledged that “there is no eternal obligation, from any ally to the other, and it all depends on the definition of the national interests of each country and what serves it, but due to the fact that the American security alliance forms the basis of the interest of the United States in East Asia, and the critical importance of the region to it, no I think America's allies and partners are concerned."