Weinstein Interviewed on U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

US Army soldiers returning home from a nine-month deployment to Afghanistan on December 10, 2020, at Fort Drum, N.Y. Four months later, President Biden announced his plan to withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021, 20 years after 9/11. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

Lt Gen Jack Weinstein, USAF (Ret), Professor of the Practice of International Security at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, was interviewed by BU Today on President Joe Biden’s promise to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. 

In the article, titled “Is Pulling US Troops Out of Afghanistan the Right Move?,” Weinstein details his views of President Biden’s decision and explains how, while the call will receive pushback, it is necessary for the future security of the United States. Weinstein hoped that the U.S. can learn from history and not act with military force so quickly in the future. He also noted the importance of withdrawing troops now and reallocating resources towards the real threat: China.

An excerpt:

BU Today: What was your reaction to President Biden’s announcement? Is this the right call, or as critics are saying, is it only going to destabilize Afghanistan?

Weinstein: I think it’s a risky move. In every single military school I went to, you learn that before you get into a conflict, the number one thing you think about is how you will get out of it. We got into Afghanistan based on emotion and not based on what was best for the country at the time. We failed to understand history.

Why is it important for the United States to get out now, at this moment?

The real threat to America is not Afghanistan. China is the real threat. Until you can extricate yourself, you can’t put the resources into the real threat.

The full interview can be read online.

Jack Weinstein, Lieutenant General, USAF (Ret), served in the U. S. Air Force from 1982 to 2018. Prior to arriving at the Pardee School of Global Studies, he was the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, Headquarters United States Air Force, the Pentagon.  In this position, he was responsible to the Secretary and Chief of Staff on all aspects of nuclear deterrence operations providing direction, guidance, integration and advocacy regarding the nuclear deterrence mission of the U.S. Air Force and engaged with joint, interagency and NATO for nuclear enterprise solutions. Read more about Weinstein on his faculty profile