That's John Simpson, World Affairs Editor of BBC News, published 30 minutes ago.Right across the globe, countries which have traditionally relied on American backing are suddenly starting to wonder if they should get themselves some re-insurance.
Taiwan, which is almost daily subject to threats of invasion from China, is particularly worried. South Korea, Japan, Western Europe, and Britain are all wondering if the American commitment to them could evaporate as fast as the commitment to Afghanistan has.
It should clearly be a question of interest to the other 29 member countries of NATO, for instance. President Trump questioned during his presidency, several times, whether America still had a legitimate place in NATO and now the actions of President Biden bring the issue into even closer focus.
If America were to be invited by the remainder of NATO to withdraw from the organization, several immediate benefits present themselves. The organization would no longer be so lop-sided, member states would all have rather more influence on decision-making. America might even be persuaded that all of its military bases in the other NATO countries could be closed and the infrastructure permanently returned to the appropriate sovereign host. I note that this was the exact consequence of the American withdrawal from Iraq and from Afghanistan, for example.
If anyone sees a Go-Fund-Me project aiming at such an outcome, please add details to the thread.
Oh - and Diego Garcia too, please.
And to balance the impression John Simpson offered, the idea that America ever felt any commitment to Afghanistan is preposterous. The American and British governments went into Afghanistan for the sole illegal purpose of regime change, and most Afghans, Brits and Americans from then until now have cursed them for doing so.