Here is Mike Pompeo, less than a year ago, meeting with Afghanistan’s new ‘president,’ Taliban leader Mullah Baradar, who the Trump administration had released from prison in 2018. But sure, Mike, tell us more about ‘deterrence’ and toughness. https://t.co/7BYMTQ4cDB pic.twitter.com/xtgbhjNWec
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) August 15, 2021
In 2018, Trump got Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar released from prison.
In 2020, Trump's Secretary of State met with Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
In 2021, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar is set to become the President of Afghanistan under Taliban rule. pic.twitter.com/pbdus8aeZx
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) August 15, 2021
Also worth checking out is this article from The Hindu: Mullah Baradar released by Pakistan at the behest of US: Khalilzad (Feburary 9, 2019)
And then, after Baradar’s release, do you remember the hush-hush plans to meet with the Taliban at Camp David back in 2019? See these articles:
- New York Times — How Trump’s Plan to Secretly Meet With the Taliban Came Together, and Fell Apart (September 8, 2019)
- Military Times — Trump calls off secret Camp David meeting with Taliban, Afghan leaders (September 8, 2019)
- CNN — Trump overruled advisers, VP on Taliban Camp David meeting (September 9, 2019)
- The New Yorker — Trump’s stunt with the Taliban was not about negotiating peace (September 9, 2019)
And as for the withdrawal, remember that Trump had set a withdrawal date of much earlier this year — May 1:
- In fact, he wanted them home by Christmas 2020: Trump ‘to order further troop withdrawal’ from Afghanistan and Iraq (BBC News, November 16, 2020)
- USA Today — Biden faces Trump’s deadline on Afghanistan troop withdrawal: ‘Any way you cut it, we are headed for a messy outcome’ (March 17, 2021)
- CNN: Trump calls Afghanistan withdrawal ‘a wonderful and positive thing to do’ and criticizes Biden’s timeline (April 19, 2021)
- CBS News: Trump backs Afghanistan withdrawal, putting him at odds with some Republicans (April 19, 2021)