FLASHBACK: Four Years Ago Trump Foreshadowed What Could Result From a ‘Hasty’ Afghanistan Withdrawal

President Joe Biden has been attempting to pin much of the blame on the collapse in Afghanistan on former President Donald Trump, but a recently unearthed video from August 2017 showed that then President Trump foreshadowed what could result from a “hasty” Afghanistan withdrawal.

Twitter user “Benedict Ratchford” shared a clip from Fox News of a speech that Trump gave regarding a potential exit from the embattled nation.

“Love Trump or Hate Trump. What he said here in 2017, when pressed about his withdrawal plan. He basically summarises exactly what would happen if it was done immediately with no plan. #trump #biden #afghanistan #BringTrumpBack“

In the video, Trump began, “The consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable.”

Trump continued, “9/11, the worst terrorist attack in our history was directed from Afghanistan because that country was ruled by a government that gave comfort and shelter to terrorists.”

“A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda would instantly fill, just as happened before 9/11,” Trump concluded.

Love Trump or Hate Trump. What he said here in 2017, when pressed about his withdrawal plan. He basically summarises exactly what would happen if it was done immediately with no plan. #trump #biden #afghanistan #BringTrumpBack pic.twitter.com/NLXgGRKI4M

— Benedict Ratchford (@TheBenRatch) August 26, 2021

An offshoot of ISIS, known as ISIS-K, is the terrorist group that claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attack in Kabul, which killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 170 Afghans.

CBS News explained:

An affiliate of ISIS, the group that spread into northern Iraq from Syria six years ago and once controlled territory roughly the size of Britain, ISIS-K first emerged in Pakistan around the same time, in 2015. Its members have come from other Pakistani militant groups, including disillusioned Taliban fighters. 

“What ISIS-K did was lure disaffected others,” said Seth Jones, director of the transnational threats project at the Center for Strategic International Studies.

Its members generally hold the view that members of the Taliban are impure and not extremist enough. ISIS-K is also known for its fanaticism, and is more brutal than the Taliban.

The “K” in the name signifies Khorasan province, a region encompassing parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. ISIS-K views itself as a global operation, as al Qaeda did in 2001, and seeks to reestablish the historic boundaries of the province, which also extend beyond Afghanistan to parts of Iran and Central Asia.