Editors’ Picks: Biden was right about Afghanistan—and disastrously wrong

Plus: Pakistan and the United States have betrayed the Afghan people [Foreign Policy Logo]( [Foreign Policy Flashpoints]( August 16, 2021 | [View in browser]( SPONSORED BY [THE SCHAR SCHOOL AT GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY]( 1 [Right and wrong.](. President Joe Biden correctly assessed that there is little value in prolonging the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan. But his tactical errors during the withdrawal may be hard to overcome, FP’s Michael Hirsh [writes]( 2 [Ignoring Islamabad.]( has said he did enough to prepare the Afghan government for the future. In fact, the United States enabled the current crisis by not standing up to the Taliban’s biggest supporter: Pakistan, C. Christine Fair [writes]( 3 [Power in kinship.]( collapse of the U.S.-constructed Afghan government is a reminder that states are not the only form of political organization. In Afghanistan, the tribe has proved equally important, Jeremi Suri [writes]( 4 [Diplomatic disaster.]( one-quarter of the U.S. diplomatic corps has served in Afghanistan or Iraq. Many express an overwhelming sense of anger and guilt about the bungled U.S. withdrawal, FP’s Amy Mackinnon and Robbie Gramer [report](. 5 [Beijing’s bidding.]( U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan prompted mass anxiety for much of South and Central Asia. But China has courted the Taliban, quietly attempting to secure its future in the country, Derek Grossman [writes]( SPONSORED [Creating Changemakers]( Creating Changemakers The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University has in-demand graduate programs like Biodefense, International Security, and International Commerce & Policy. Despite the challenging 2020 job market, 87% of our master's degree graduates had confirmed full-time job placement. [Register for a prospective student event and learn more](. FOLLOW FP ON This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you are subscribed to FP’s Editors' Picks newsletter. Want a friend to receive this newsletter? [Forward it]( now. Want to receive other FP newsletters? [Manage]( your FP newsletter preferences. [unsubscribe]( | [privacy policy]( | [contact us]( | [advertise]( Foreign Policy magazine is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2021 The Slate Group, LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 1750 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006. [Link](