With and without a presence in Afghanistan: a bungled end to a taste of freedom
Dear Editor, A blank stare of disbelief with a side of ugly premonition. The major news stories have fizzled out – for now – but that’s how I’ve digested the United States’ final stages of military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Taliban takeover that ensued this summer. The suicide attacks that killed 13 U.S. servicemembers and the chaotic evacuation of Americans and Afghan refugees made me feel like punching my laptop screen. As a former military reporter and civilian journalist for more than ten years, the circus sideshow made me want to share a few of my experiences and observations…