memeorandum: He spent his adult life helping U.S. soldiers. Now, he's desperately fleeing Afghanistan. (Wesley Morgan/Washington Post)

3:45 PM ET, August 16, 2021

Top Items:

Craig Whitlock / Washington Post:

Afghan security forces' wholesale collapse was years in the making — In the summer of 2011, Army Lt. Gen. William Caldwell IV made a round of public appearances to boast that he had finally solved a problem that had kept U.S. troops bogged down in Afghanistan for a decade.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Glenn Greenwald, HotAir, Responsible Statecraft, The Federalist, IJR, The Nation, New York Times, Townhall, Fox News, NPR, Mediaite, The Reactionary and Japan Times

Associated Press:

The latest on Afghanistan: Four Afghans dead after fall from US plane wheel well — Here's the latest on the rapidly unfolding events related to Afghanistan: — Report: Afghans who worked for US may temporarily go to bases in Wisconsin and Texas — The U.S. intends to evacuate tens …

Joseph Choi / The Hill:

US reaches deal with Taliban on evacuations: report — The U.S. has reached a deal with the Taliban to ensure that evacuations from Kabul's airport can take place without interference from the group, according to a report by The Associated Press. — The deal was reached in talks in Doha …

Discussion: HotAir, Military Times, TheBlaze, New York Times, CNN, National Review and Althouse

Josh Marshall / Talking Points Memo:

After Sunday It's Even More Clear Biden Was Right — Americans, or at least the commentating classes, are watching aghast as events unfold in Afghanistan. Some are second-guessing the wisdom of withdrawal - after all, how hard is it to maintain a few thousand soldiers there permanently?

Discussion: HotAir, Bloomberg, Fox News, IJR, Ace of Spades HQ, Insider, Crooks and Liars and Instapundit

Chris Cillizza / CNN:

Joe Biden is facing a crisis of competence — (CNN)At the heart of Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign was a single word: competence. — After four years of Donald Trump's incompetence in, well, everything, the Biden argument was that the country badly needed a steady hand on the tiller …

Discussion: RedState, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, The Federalist, Bipartisan Report, Wall Street Journal, Raw Story, Breitbart, The American Independent and Twitchy

ABC News:

Afghanistan updates: Chaos at Kabul airport, world responds — As people rush to leave, leaders contemplate recognizing the Taliban government. — United States troops have taken control of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan as chaos continues after Afghanistan's president fled the country …

Discussion: TK News, Washington Examiner, Washington Times, CNN and HotAir

Preston Byrne:

Did America just lose Afghanistan because of WhatsApp? — In the middle of a conflict, good analysis is hard to come by. Because adversaries do not telegraph their plans to one another, plans depend greatly on the fact patterns surrounding their execution, and no human mind can possibly observe …

Discussion: Newsweek, Jihad Watch, Washington Post and The Nation

Wall Street Journal:

Three Killed in Kabul Airport as Afghans Scramble to Escape Taliban — Mass evacuations follow the insurgents' capture of Kabul after a rapid sweep of the country — At least three people were killed by gunfire Monday morning in chaotic scenes at the passenger terminal of Kabul's international airport …

Discussion: Reuters, Washington Examiner, New York Times, AIRLIVE, Mediaite, IJR, National Review, Raw Story, Jihad Watch, CNBC, NBC News, Gizmodo, The Daily Signal, The Daily Caller, Trending Politics, Human Events, Mirror.co.uk, Al Jazeera, RedState, Fox News, CNN and UPI

James Gordon Meek / ABC News:

Afghanistan's collapse: Did US intelligence get it wrong? — American intelligence sources say they correctly predicted the fall of Kabul. — As panicked Afghans watched Taliban fighters roll into the capital city of Kabul Sunday, sealing the collapse of the U.S.-backed government there …

Discussion: HotAir, The Atlantic, RedState, Townhall, New York Times, Washington Post, New York Post, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, The Hill, Breitbart, Florida Politics, Associated Press and Twin Cities

Wesley Morgan / Washington Post:

He spent his adult life helping U.S. soldiers. Now, he's desperately fleeing Afghanistan. — Iqbal, a fighter and former interpreter, battled thirst and gunfire to get to Kabul airport. Now what? — The voice on the phone from Kandahar Airfield sounded exhausted and resigned, as if not much hope was left.

Tom Nichols / The Atlantic:
Afghanistan Is Your Fault — Kabul has fallen. Americans will now exercise …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Salon, The Dispatch, Washington Post and Twitchy

BBC:
Afghanistan: US takes control of Kabul airport to evacuate staff from country

Discussion: Telegraph, HotAir, Reuters, Politico, Breitbart, Al Jazeera, France 24, Bloomberg, Quartz and Insider

Wall Street Journal:
‘Saigon on Steroids’: The Desperate Rush to Flee Afghanistan

Discussion: The Daily Beast, The Guardian, HotAir, New York Times, Tangle, Breitbart, Vanity Fair, Fox News, CBS News, Reuters, NPR, Mediaite, Bipartisan Report, Bloomberg, CNN, Mock Paper Scissors, globalnews.ca and Insider

Noah Rothman / MSNBC:
The fall of Afghanistan in 2021 is the result of years of American delusion

Discussion: USA Today, Insider, Washington Post, NBC News, Al Jazeera, HotAir and The Dispatch

Kurt Schlichter / Townhall:
Our Military Is A Woke Joke

Discussion: HotAir, Politico, RealClearPolitics and BizPac Review

Gerald F. Seib / Wall Street Journal:
America's Failures in Afghanistan Were Bipartisan and Long-Running

Discussion: Twin Cities

Shannon Pettypiece / NBC News:
White House weighs response as Biden faces mounting criticism over Afghanistan crisis

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Wall Street Journal, RedState, Althouse, HotAir, Newsweek, IJR, Insider and NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

David Frum / The Atlantic:
The 1 Thing That Could've Changed the War in Afghanistan

Discussion: Axios, HotAir, PRESS RUN, Washington Free Beacon, TheBlaze, Persuasion and Quartz, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:
Biden returns to White House ahead of address on Afghanistan

Discussion: NBC4 Washington, Townhall, The US Sun and Althouse

David E. Sanger / New York Times:
For Biden, Images of Defeat He Wanted to Avoid

Olivier Knox / Washington Post:
The Daily 202: Kamala Harris heads to Singapore and Vietnam in second trip as vice president

Discussion: Washington Monthly, The Daily Beast and New York Times

Jonathan Weisman / New York Times:
In Washington, Recriminations Over Afghanistan Emerge Quickly

Discussion: Fox News, RedState, Daily Kos, CNN and ABC13, more at Mediagazer »

Daria Litvinova / Associated Press:
Uzbekistan says it downed Afghan military plane crossing in

Discussion: Breitbart

Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
How Republicans are slamming Biden on Afghanistan

Discussion: Washington Examiner, National Review, Telegraph, Lincoln Journal Star, BizPac Review, Gizmodo, Bipartisan Report, Trending Politics, The American Spectator and TheBlaze

Anatol Lieven / Politico:
Why Afghan Forces So Quickly Laid Down Their Arms

Discussion: The Atlantic, HotAir, Fox News, Project Syndicate, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The Bulwark and Commentary Magazine

Al Jazeera:
Chaos at Kabul airport as Taliban retakes Afghanistan: Live News

Discussion: Axios, Breitbart, TFIPOST, The Guardian, Louder With Crowder, Bloomberg, Forbes and Twitchy

Associated Press:
The Latest: Merkel says latest Afghan developments ‘awful’

Discussion: TheBlaze, Al Jazeera and Just Security

Michael Lee / Fox News:
Jen Psaki ‘out of the office’ as Biden remains silent on Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Axios, ABC News, Breitbart, POLITICUSUSA, Trending Politics, Ace of Spades HQ, Washington Examiner, Townhall, HotAir, IJR, BizPac Review, TheBlaze, RedState and The Daily Caller

Shay Khatiri / The Bulwark:
Why the Afghan Army Fell to the Taliban

Discussion: National Review, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Caller and RedState

Washington Post:
International human rights organizations scramble to get local allies out of Afghanistan

Discussion: HotAir, The Diplomat, New York Times and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Associated Press:
US officials say 7 killed in Kabul airport evacuation chaos

Discussion: Axios, National Review, TFIPOST, Associated Press, The Times of Israel, The Daily Caller and Fox News

Martin Amin Rahmani / The Bulwark:
We Didn't Think Our American Friends Would Leave Us in the Dead of Night

Discussion: HotAir, Politico, HuffPost, Slate, Washington Examiner, Washington Free Beacon, Jacobin, IJR and Insider

Nicholas Fondacaro / Newsbusters:
NBC Whines GOP ‘Seized’ on ‘Optical Comparison’ Between Kabul/Saigon Airlifts

Discussion: HotAir

Jaclyn Peiser / Washington Post:

A conservative cardinal who criticized the vaccine caught covid. Days later, he was put on a ventilator. — Most days during the coronavirus pandemic, Cardinal Raymond L. Burke could be found strolling down the streets of Rome maskless and carrying rosary beads.

Discussion: New York Post, Religion News Service, Crooks and Liars, Friendly Atheist, KXAN-TV, Balloon Juice, Raw Story and Mock Paper Scissors

Associated Press:

Detainee says China has secret jail in Dubai, holds Uyghurs — A young Chinese woman says she was held for eight days at a Chinese-run secret detention facility in Dubai along with at least two Uyghurs, in what may be the first evidence that China is operating a so-called “black site” beyond its borders.

Discussion: The Daily Caller and HotAir

CNN:

Exclusive: Title, cover and details of new Trump book from Bob Woodward and Robert Costa revealed — (CNN)First it was “Fear,” then it was “Rage,” now it is “Peril.” That is the title of the highly-anticipated third book about President Trump from legendary journalist Bob Woodward …

Discussion: The Guardian

Meridith McGraw / Politico:

The GOP waves white flag in the same-sex marriage wars — To mark the beginning of Pride Month this year, Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel did what party leaders do on these types of occasions: She sent out a tweet. — “Happy #PrideMonth!” she wrote, " …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, Raw Story and Mock Paper Scissors

Jewish Journal:

A New Israel-Hating Curriculum is Coming to California School Districts … If you've been following the Ethnic Studies controversy in California over the past few years and came away thinking the Jewish community was left relatively unscathed, think again. — The Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum …

Melissa Nann Burke / Detroit News:

Ex-Rep. Paul Mitchell dies. He quit GOP over its refusal to accept Trump's defeat — Former U.S. Rep. Paul Mitchell, a conservative who quit the Republican Party over its allegiance to President Donald Trump after the 2020 election, has died after a diagnosis of stage IV renal cancer. He was 64.

Discussion: Politico, Washington Examiner, The Hill, Roll Call and The Daily Caller

John Nichols / The Nation:

Ron Johnson Does the Bidding of the Ultra-Rich — A new study reveals that Johnson's “principled” stand for tax reform may enrich two of his campaign donors by half a billion dollars. — Ron Johnson's public image is that of a delusional conspiracy theorist who struggles to pull together coherent sentences.