The Morning Dispatch: Biden’s Afghanistan Legacy Play

Plus: House Democrats' January 6 committee goes after the communications of GOP lawmakers.

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Happy Wednesday! Just like that, it’s September—which is weird because 2021 just started two months ago.

Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

  • Hurricane Ida’s confirmed death toll rose to four on Tuesday after the storm’s extreme rainfall resulted in the collapse of a section of Mississippi highway. More than 1 million customers in Louisiana remained without power as of Tuesday night. Gov. John Bel Edwards said yesterday that residents who had evacuated prior to the hurricane’s landfall shouldn’t return yet, because “the schools are not open, the businesses are not open, the hospitals are slammed, there’s no water in your home, and there’s not going to be electricity.”

  • A Texas law banning abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected—which is usually around the sixth week of pregnancy—went into effect early this morning after the Supreme Court did not grant an emergency petition to halt it. Lawsuits challenging the law’s constitutionality remain underway in federal court.

  • Eurozone year-over-year inflation reached its highest level since November 2011 this month, with consumer prices spiking 3 percent from August 2020 to August 2021.

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  1. Tony Rice

    Celebrity worship and paranoid populism begat Trump. Trump begat Biden. God help us, Biden will likely begat Trump. We are in an age of rank idiocy. One way or another, our nation will pay a high price. McCarthy is one of many perfectly cast clown jesters in this horrendous drama.

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  2. Bill Brockman

    Re today's question: No doubt Mr. McCarthy will carry out his threat by getting very, very angry, holding his breath until his face turns red, stamping his shoes, pounding his fists on the table and speaking very, very harsh words to any reporter with a live mic. Then, the coup de grace will be to sic (former) President Donald Trump on them. He will huff and puff and blow their house down.

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  3. Pohl

    I second Ross Douthat’s article in the NYT. Aligns with my thoughts much more than the writers here. Would be nice to see a reply.

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    Jake

    A coworker of mine has family in Afghanistan, including his new wife. He’s been trying to get her into the US since before the pandemic. She wasn’t able to evacuate because it was just too dangerous to attempt it, so now she’s trapped, but at least safe. They aren’t sure what they’re going to do at this point.

    While I believe we should leave the country, doing so in this manner— kowtowing to the Taliban and leaving so many at risk—is just an absolute shame. We should’ve done more. Much more. Screw the Taliban.

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    Jake

    I don’t get the point of this congressional “investigation”. While I think Trump should’ve been impeached and convicted over January 6th, I don’t see how casting such a broad net is anything more than an attempt to dig up dirt to use in campaign ads. No one was planning anything regarding the insurrection in April 2020, so why on earth are they going that far back? To me, that proves that this isn’t a just investigation, it’s a witch hunt.

    And every republican senator and representative that didn’t denounce the actions on that day and every one of them that cried foul about the election should resign in shame.

    Also, I should win the lottery.

    I think that last one is more likely.

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    Johntadian

    Heck with the Jan 6 investigation. What the hell ever happened to John Durham's report?

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    Angie

    Sigh, I was hoping maybe today I wouldn't have to read so much hyperbole and especially claiming all us liberals are racist and called Afghans savages...sigh...no one I know or read said any such thing...

    Tribalism seems to have taken over the Dispatch now, that is sad...guess we know are part of the problem, which is upsetting, I thought we had a chance to be a better example

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      Angie

      "now', no know
      And PS: I am really disappointed some people I really respect have fallen into the all liberals are evil narrative...and as anyone who knows me knows, I never say that about conservtives

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        Angie

        PPS: I don't even say it about the far right or Trump

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          Angie

          Sorry, one last PPPS: I have never felt so unwelcome and despised here as I have the last couple of weeks

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          1. Pohl

            I enjoy differing views here, especially now that foreign policy issues have exposed some chinks in TD’s armor.

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  8. R. James

    While Biden and his Administration lie to American public and blame Americans and Afghans he left behind for the situation they find themselves in, the Taliban is hunting the hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan partners with our own weapons. Amnesty International and the BBC are reporting some of the atrocities unfolding.

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  9. Mary Stine

    What kind of retribution does Kevin Mc Carthy have in mind? First, dragging all those companies back for a grilling on privacy violations in front of the Cspan cameras. Second, threatening to pull their FCC licenses and Third, publicly commanding all his and Trump's minions to boycott any of the companies releasing information. The last would probably achieve the goal of noncompliance on its own.
    However, as this is a matter of national security, I feel these companies SHOULD comply. We, the American citizens, deserve to know the truth about what really happened, not some fairy tale from the right or the left. Let the chips fall where they may..I suspect this would exonerate a number of Republicans, while also condemning a few that deserve it. Kevin McCarthy doesn't want this, because it will detract from the fine mess of the Afghanistan pull out.

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      C C Writer

      I actually like your "let the chips fall" idea. I would be willing to incur a minor injury (one not requiring a doctor visit) on this hill. Call it Reality Hill.

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    Jean-Christophe Jouffrey

    Dear Morning Dispatchers,

    for those who have forgotten, from the speech of GW Bush from 17th of April 2002, when he turned towards nation building in Afghanistan (https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/04/20020417-1.html):
    "As the spring thaw comes, we expect cells of trained killers to try to regroup, to murder, create mayhem and try to undermine Afghanistan's efforts to build a lasting peace. We know this from not only intelligence, but from the history of military conflict in Afghanistan. It's been one of initial success, followed by long years of floundering and ultimate failure. We're not going to repeat that mistake. (Applause.)

    In the United States of America, the terrorists have chosen a foe unlike they have any -- they have never faced before. They've never faced a country like ours before: we're tough, we're determined, we're relentless. (Applause.) We will stay until the mission is done. (Applause.)

    We know that true peace will only be achieved when we give the Afghan people the means to achieve their own aspirations. (Applause.) Peace -- peace will be achieved by helping Afghanistan develop its own stable government. Peace will be achieved by helping Afghanistan train and develop its own national army. And peace will be achieved through an education system for boys and girls which works. (Applause.)

    We're working hard in Afghanistan. We're clearing minefields. We're rebuilding roads. We're improving medical care. And we will work to help Afghanistan to develop an economy that can feed its people without feeding the world's demand for drugs. (Applause.)

    And we help the Afghan people recover from the Taliban rule. And as we do so, we find mounting horror, evidence of horror. In the Hazarajat region, the Red Cross has found signs of massacres committed by the Taliban last year, victims who lie in mass graves. This is the legacy of the first regime to fall in the war against terror. These mass graves are a reminder of the kind of enemy we have fought and have defeated. And they are the kind of evil we continue to fight.

    By helping to build an Afghanistan that is free from this evil and is a better place in which to live, we are working in the best traditions of George Marshall. (Applause.) Marshall knew that our military victory against enemies in World War II had to be followed by a moral victory that resulted in better lives for individual human beings."

    Oh the irony of "We know this from not only intelligence, but from the history of military conflict in Afghanistan. It's been one of initial success, followed by long years of floundering and ultimate failure. We're not going to repeat that mistake."!

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    1. Pohl

      Re-reading that makes me cringe as I did at the time and also regarding Iraq. I always thought it was more akin to humanitarian cover for other motives, but I think Bush was sincere at least, thus his appeal to Marshall.

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