Americans had lost sense of 'security' in 2001, but 20 years later, it is now on lookout for its sense of judgement and the 'response' to terror menace !
Presidents achieve success, Presidents fail. In the case of America, the date 9/11 could decide in future the history's verdict on two of them Joe Biden and George W Bush!
Shortly after 9/11, 2001, Bush had said even those who "harboured" terrorists would not be spared ! Afghanistan was attacked, but not Pakistan and that's all the irony about !
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| Copter over Pentagon after attack: Snap USA Today |
Around 2001, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had said the most difficult thing in dealing with terrorism is finding the ADDRESS in which you respond. Even for 9/11 twin tower attacks, initially the US authorities had said the assault came from the 'unidentified' foes.
But having stayed in Afghanistan for 20 years, the Americans and NATO forces must have known who all mattered in Pakistan. But at the end of the day, it was more than giving just benefit of doubt to Islamabad, and the result is well known today.
Now to talk about 'success and failures' as two quarrelsome siblings -- for the US Presidents, history is yet to judge Bush. But along with him and the incumbent President Biden; it will be crucially vital even to assess the roles played by Barack Obama and Donald Trump in dealing with the challenge.
Two former Presidents - Lyndon Johnson and Herbert Hoover were certainly found wanting.
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| Bush, Biden and Two others |
On the other hand, analysts have hailed the performances of the likes of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt for what they say - 'rising' to the Demands of History!
In short, for any leadership test, one can say the individual or the nation ought to display the 'mantle' and character that detractors would not imagined they held.
of course, in general sense the American credibility was at stake; and Biden would have to wriggle out of the crisis.
Biden is making a case that he had little choice after Donald Trump - even otherwise known for whimsical style, mannerism and big mouth - had started the Doha talks and laid a road-map.
Even otherwise, the Democrats are putting forward an argument that the war had to come to an end. After two decades - the refrain was - the sooner it comes, it is better.
But there is always another argument. If one doesn’t have the patience to sustain wars, then one need not embark on them either.
Similarly, goes the argument of so called 'nation building' as articulated by Biden himself.
In the words of Jonathan Powell, an aide of Tony Blair, "....if we don’t help countries rebuild institutions after participating in a war, then we end up with a spectacular mess like Libya. The challenge is doing these things properly".
Looking back, it is true - ramifications of a Tuesday terror (9/11, 2001) have lingered for years.
Obama himself had said in his book: "Unlike the war in Iraq, the Afghan campaign had always seemed to me a war of necessity. Though the Taliban’s ambitions were confined to Afghanistan, their leadership remained loosely allied to Al-Qaeda, and their return to power could result in the country once again serving as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against the United States and its allies".
And they say, necessity knows 'no law' ! So why the desperate hurry and the 'mess' you have created, says Vladimir Putin.
The Russian leader has his reasons to lash out at the American leadership.
But from an American perspective, it could be stated that for them the most 'reassuring' factor has been always that - history shows the US Presidents more often rise to the moment.
In this post-Taliban takeover scenario, one could still be anti-America or against its big brother politics, but I would still wish America to succeed, otherwise Jehadi terror would. And that would be nightmare.
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