Posted on 08/19/2021 8:36:54 PM PDT by 11th_VA
BRUSSELS (AP) — Well before U.S. President Joe Biden took office early this year, the European Union's foreign policy chief sang his praises and hailed a new era in cooperation. So did almost all of Washington's Western allies.
The EU's Josep Borrell was glad to see the end of the Trump era, with its America First, and sometimes America Only policy, enthralled by Biden's assertion that he would "lead, not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example."
Sunday's collapse of Kabul, triggered by Biden's decision to get out of Afghanistan and a U.S. military unable to contain the chaos since, certainly put a stop to that. Even some of his biggest fans are now churning out criticism.
… "State-building was not the purpose? Well, this is arguable," a dejected Borrell said of Biden's stance, which has come under criticism in much of Europe...
French Parliamentarian Nathalie Loiseau put the unexpected EU-Biden disconnect more bluntly: "We lived a little bit the great illusion," she said. "We thought America was back, while in fact, America withdraws."
Even in the United Kingdom, …, barbs were coming from all angles.
Former British Army chief Richard Dannatt said, "the manner and timing of the Afghan collapse is the direct result of President Biden's decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of 9/11."
"To see their commander-in-chief call into question the courage of men I fought with, to claim that they ran, is shameful," Tugendhat said.
Chris Bryant, from the opposition Labour Party, called Biden's remarks about Afghan soldiers, "some of the most shameful comments ever from an American president."
In Prague, Czech president Milos Zeman said that, "by withdrawing from Afghanistan, the Americans have lost their status of global leader."
(Excerpt) Read more at smdailyjournal.com ...
I suppose joe removed the requirement that these countries pay their fair share of nato.
The flip side is, the US support has now evaporated.
Czech president Milos Zeman said that, “by withdrawing from Afghanistan, the Americans have lost their status of global leader.”
Well, America has done a piss poor job of leading for quite some time.
bump
And to think, two generations of Americans, including members of my family, gave their lives for Europe’s freedom.
A freedom they’ve essentially pissed away.
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