memeorandum: Biden administration scrambled as its orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan unraveled (Washington Post)

9:15 AM ET, August 15, 2021

Top Items:

Statement by President Joe Biden on Afghanistan — Over the past several days, I have been in close contact with my national security team to give them direction on how to protect our interests and values as we end our military mission in Afghanistan. — First, based on the recommendations …

Discussion: New York Times, Mediaite, Politico, Reuters, Townhall, Task & Purpose, The Daily Caller, Forbes, National File and Insider

New York Times:

A frenzied flight from Kabul as the U.S. evacuation accelerates. — KABUL, Afghanistan — As the Taliban stood at the gates of Kabul, completing the near total takeover of Afghanistan two decades after the American military drove them from power, a chaotic and frenzied evacuation of U.S. diplomats …

Discussion: Washington Times

New York Times:

Taliban Sweep in Afghanistan Follows Years of U.S. Miscalculations — An Afghan military that did not believe in itself and a U.S. effort that Mr. Biden, and most Americans, no longer believed in brought an ignoble end to America's longest war. — WASHINGTON — President Biden's top advisers concede …

Discussion: Axios, Talking Points Memo, RedState, The Hill, Breitbart, USA Today, Mother Jones, Fox News, HotAir and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Washington Post:

Biden administration scrambled as its orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan unraveled — By the middle of the week, as cities across Afghanistan were falling like dominoes to the Taliban and U.S. diplomats appeared increasingly at risk, President Biden's plan for an orderly end to the United States' longest war was quickly falling apart.

Discussion: The Guardian, The Hill, Boston Herald, The National Interest, USA Today and Washington Examiner

Associated Press:

Taliban enter Kabul, await ‘peaceful transfer’ of power — KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban fighters entered Kabul on Sunday and sought the unconditional surrender of the central government, officials said, as Afghans and foreigners alike raced for the exit, signaling the end …

Discussion: The Times of Israel, CNBC, Honolulu Star-Advertiser and NBC Chicago

Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:

Taliban Enter Kabul as Panic Spreads in Afghanistan's Capital — Mass evacuations of Western diplomats and civilians under way, with insurgents preparing to assume power — KABUL—Taliban fighters on Sunday entered Kabul, freeing inmates at the city's main prison and triggering a massive effort …

Discussion: Al Jazeera

Liz Sly / Washington Post:

Afghanistan's collapse leaves allies questioning U.S. resolve on other fronts — LONDON — The Taliban's stunningly swift advances across Afghanistan have sparked global alarm, reviving doubts about the credibility of U.S. foreign policy promises and drawing harsh criticisms even from some of the United States' closest allies.

Discussion: Politico

Sky News:

Afghanistan live updates: Taliban enters outskirts of Kabul - as Afghan government promise peaceful transition of power — Key points: — Taliban fighters have reached the outskirts of the capital Kabul - but leader orders militants to refrain from violence and says officials in talks for ‘peaceful surrender’

Greg Jaffe / Washington Post:

From hubris to humiliation: America's warrior class contends with the abject failure of its Afghanistan project — Twenty years ago, when the twin towers and the Pentagon were still smoldering, there was a sense among America's warrior and diplomatic class that history was starting anew …

Jessica Donati / Wall Street Journal:

Afghans Despair Over Long Visa Process as Taliban Close In on Kabul — U.S. is airlifting visa holders out of the country every day, but tens of thousands of applicants in Afghanistan await processing — WASHINGTON—Rahmat said he was relieved when the Central Intelligence Agency phoned …

Associated Press:
Taliban capture key northern city, approach Afghan capital

Discussion: Radio Free Europe/Radio …, Associated Press, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Al Jazeera, New York Post, FOX 5 San Diego, Slate, TheBlaze, The Hill, WGN-TV, NPR, HotAir, Forbes and CNN

New York Times:
Afghanistan's commercial hub, Mazar-i-Sharif, falls to the insurgents.

Discussion: Insider, Washington Examiner, Instapundit and Townhall

Washington Post:
Taliban enters Kabul, leaving Afghan government on brink of collapse

Discussion: HotAir, The Guardian, Insider, The US Sun, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Lawyers, Guns & Money and Just The News

France 24:
Weapon seizures ‘massive boon’ for Taliban as cities fall

Discussion: The Daily Beast and Breitbart

Yaroslav Trofimov / Wall Street Journal:
How the Afghan Army, Built by the U.S. Over Two Decades, Was Overrun

Discussion: The Dispatch and HotAir

Reuters:

Quake kills hundreds in Haiti, worsening Caribbean nation's plight — At least 304 people died and hundreds were injured after a major earthquake struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, authorities said, reducing churches, hotels, schools and homes to rubble in the latest tragedy to hit the impoverished Caribbean nation.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Associated Press, CBS News, Breitbart, RedState and The Atlantic

New York Times:
Strong Earthquake Rocks Haiti, Killing Hundreds

Discussion: The Long Version, Al Jazeera, Metro.co.uk, Japan Times, NBC4 Washington, Slate, The Hill, The Daily Beast and Washington Post

Luke Kenton / The US Sun:
HAITI HORROR Haiti earthquake - Huge magnitude 7 quake strikes in Caribbean as THOUSANDS feared dead after buildings collapse

Discussion: HotAir

Ashton Pittman / Mississippi Free Press:

Mississippi 8th Grader Dies With COVID Hours After Gov. Reeves Downplays Child Cases — An eighth-grade girl died this morning in Raleigh, Miss., mere hours after testing positive for COVID-19. Multiple sources told the Mississippi Free Press that the student attended classes at the school …

Nick Judin / Mississippi Free Press:
Gov. Reeves For Vaccinations, But Chides Against ‘Virtue-Signaling’ About Mask Need

Discussion: WJTV

Washington Examiner:

Marriage and work are worth fighting for — It was the centerpiece of President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. It is a big chunk of his $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. But not enough people are talking about the radical change to family policy that Biden included …

Los Angeles Times:

One person stabbed as COVID anti-vaxxers and counterdemonstrators clash in front of L.A. City Hall — An anti-vaccine rally at Los Angeles City Hall turned violent on Saturday, with one person stabbed and a reporter claiming he was assaulted, according to police and protesters on the scene.

Discussion: Al Jazeera, HuffPost, TheGrio, The US Sun, The Hill, New York Post, The Daily Beast, Hollywood Reporter, ABC7, TheBlaze, Fox News and KTLA

Aya Elamroussi / CNN:

‘This is starting to look really ominous in the South,’ expert says, as US is among nations with highest rate of new Covid-19 cases — (CNN)The US remains among nations with the highest rate of new Covid-19 cases, driven mostly by a surge in the South, where many states are lagging in getting people vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Discussion: Insider

Maureen Dowd / New York Times:

Behold Barack Antoinette — WASHINGTON — Jay Gatsby gave big, lavish, new-money parties at his sprawling mansion on the water because he wanted to seem cool. He wanted Daisy to notice him. — Barack Obama gave a big, lavish, new-money party at his sprawling mansion on the water because he wanted to seem cool.

Discussion: Fox News, Instapundit, The Wrap, Mediaite, Twitchy and justoneminute.typepad.com

Matt Taibbi / TK News:
The Vanishing Legacy of Barack Obama

Discussion: Ace of Spades HQ

Tom Boggioni / Raw Story:

Teen accused of assisting GOP strategist with sex trafficking arrested in Florida: report — According to a report from the Daily Beast, a 19-year-old woman who has been accused of assisting a GOP strategist with sex trafficking of underage f girls was taken into custody in Florida.