Some facts to remember about the current situation in Afghanistan

Also worth checking out is this article from The Hindu: Mullah Baradar released by Pakistan at the behest of US: Khalilzad (Feburary 9, 2019)

And then, after Baradar’s release, do you remember the hush-hush plans to meet with the Taliban at Camp David back in 2019? See these articles:

• New York Times — How Trump’s Plan to Secretly Meet With the Taliban Came Together, and Fell Apart (September 8, 2019)
• Military Times — Trump calls off secret Camp David meeting with Taliban, Afghan leaders (September 8, 2019)
• CNN — Trump overruled advisers, VP on Taliban Camp David meeting (September 9, 2019)
• The New Yorker — Trump’s stunt with the Taliban was not about negotiating peace (September 9, 2019)

And as for the withdrawal, remember that Trump had set a withdrawal date of much earlier this year — May 1:

• In fact, he wanted them home by Christmas 2020: Trump ‘to order further troop withdrawal’ from Afghanistan and Iraq (BBC News, November 16, 2020)
• USA Today — Biden faces Trump’s deadline on Afghanistan troop withdrawal: ‘Any way you cut it, we are headed for a messy outcome’ (March 17, 2021)
• CNN: Trump calls Afghanistan withdrawal ‘a wonderful and positive thing to do’ and criticizes Biden’s timeline (April 19, 2021)
• CBS News: Trump backs Afghanistan withdrawal, putting him at odds with some Republicans (April 19, 2021)