Sky News Contributor Catherine McGregor says the recent US-Taliban peace deal was not only a “concession of defeat by the United States,” but was a deal which was “dishonoured before the ink even dried”.
“Whether it is as ignominious as the withdrawal from Saigon in 1975 remains to be seen,” Ms McGregor said.
As a result of the peace deal, Australia’s military presence in Afghanistan is “no longer serving any useful strategic purpose,” she said.
Ms McGregor said while the initial case for invasion and action against the Taliban in Afghanistan – being “harbouring the infrastructure and personnel of (Osama) Bin Laden” – was “beyond reproach” the allied forces’ involvement “should have ended in 2002”.
“The rapid rout of the Taliban forced Bin laden to flee into Pakistan, and our involvement should have ended at that time”.
“Neither our enemy nor most of the people of Afghanistan were for sale, so we have neither the time nor the resources to waste on this folly.”
Image: Associated Press
