Stealing A Page

Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) says he believes the United States “will be going back into Afghanistan” despite the recently declared end of nearly two decades of American military presence in the country.

Graham, in an interview Monday with the BBC, predicted a looming clash between the Taliban and extremist groups such as the Islamic State would necessitate American military action in the country. “We will be going back into Afghanistan,” Graham said. “We’ll have to, because the threat will be so large.”

… and all I can think is the Afghanis have stolen a page from the GOP intra-party playbook: claim those who hold power in the party are too soft, kill them, and claim power. The only difference between the Taliban/ISIS-K pair and the former GOP / current GOP is that “kill” is metaphorical only in the latter case.

And, for what it’s worth, I think the Biden strategy of indirect warfare – diplomacy, financial strictures, and the like – is far wiser than wading back in holding a gun in one hand and a fighter jet in the other.