Category: World Politics

The final U.S. military forces departed Afghanistan yesterday, bringing the twenty-year war to a close.

Trace two decades of U.S. involvement in the country. https://t.co/b3FSMcmwhR

— Council on Foreign Relations (@CFR_org) August 31, 2021

The United States may now need to deal with the Taliban as a means to moderate its behavior, protect Afghans, and prevent the rise of an extremist threat, writes CSIS’s Burke Chair in Strategy.https://t.co/1N8AazBjXZ

— CSIS (@CSIS) August 31, 2021

The lesson of Beirut is that weakness is provocative — and that when the United States runs after a terrorist attack, the result is not safety and security, it is even more terrorism.

https://t.co/RKA9Zapg2c

— AEI Foreign Policy (@AEIfdp) August 30, 2021

“The Taliban, I think, will have to be a Taliban 2.0. They will not be able to rule the same way that they did because people's expectations of the government have changed.”

Hear more from @jmurtazashvili: https://t.co/l5X1PneGCu

— Brookings Podcasts (@policypodcasts) August 31, 2021

Now that the U.S. has withdrawn from Afghanistan, will the Taliban be able to maintain itself in power? Read @VFelbabBrown on the internal, governance, economic, and regional challenges facing the regime. https://t.co/6MQIlm9MP2

— Brookings FP (@BrookingsFP) August 31, 2021

What happens to Afghanistan after the forever war ends?

Read our full coverage—from future regional dynamics, to the state of women's rights, to the refugee crisis and more:https://t.co/UMH2K9GimW

— Foreign Policy (@ForeignPolicy) August 26, 2021

"What the administration got wrong was not the Taliban’s strength, which most analysts knew perfectly well. What it mistook was the strength of the Afghan government." — @JustinTLogan #CatoFP https://t.co/1vfeeLIq3W

— Cato Foreign Policy (@CatoFP) August 31, 2021

"Yes, Taliban is savage. But since the IS is so much more savage, Taliban appears as a lesser evil, which may even help the U.S. and its allies against the worst of the worst." — @AkyolinEnglish #CatoFP https://t.co/vtzpDf0ISe pic.twitter.com/HNLy9aoei3

— Cato Foreign Policy (@CatoFP) August 31, 2021

U.S. involvement in Afghanistan has produced disappointing results. But getting out won’t ease the sources of instability in the region, writes Prof. @halbrands in @bopinion. https://t.co/85iw9Ro6i1

— Johns Hopkins | SAIS (@SAISHopkins) August 27, 2021

The sequence of events that led to Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan is "almost incomprehensible," writes Stuart Gottlieb, who says the United States now finds itself back where it was before September 11, 2001: @thehill https://t.co/Srp9RAkOvl pic.twitter.com/WiIkuUHF87

— Columbia | SIPA (@ColumbiaSIPA) August 28, 2021

Fletcher Professor of International Politics @dandrezner discusses the #Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan and how it will impact the United States’ relationships with global allies.

Learn more: https://t.co/QaejAYpf7v

— The Fletcher School (@FletcherSchool) August 30, 2021

In a new piece, Fredrik Logevall writes that JFK's public standing improved in the aftermath of Bay of Pigs, in no small part because he took responsibility & admitted error.

"There are lessons here for Biden, should he choose to take them," he writes. https://t.co/CrtsxNbMfC

— Belfer Center (@BelferCenter) August 29, 2021

Opponents of the withdrawal from Afghanistan are blocking foreign policy changes the US desperately needs, @stephenWalt writes @FT. https://t.co/NABbOH7GUN

— Belfer Center (@BelferCenter) August 30, 2021

“The [Biden] administration should immediately propose a UN Security Council resolution calling on the Taliban to guarantee safe and unimpeded access to the airport,” writes Senior Fellow Amb. Paula Dobriansky. READ @WSJ https://t.co/4tPsVQkmBj

— Future of Diplomacy (@futurediplomacy) August 30, 2021

Me: "The U.S. couldn’t build Afghanistan a democracy. That rarely works." A little historical perspective in @monkeycageblog @BelferCenter https://t.co/aXhW8MCRAR

— Jacqueline Hazelton (@DrJLHazelton) August 31, 2021

In an exclusive interview with @MeetThePress, watch Hoover Senior Fellow @LTGHRMcMaster, talk about the American withdrawal from Afghanistan: https://t.co/A87uT36Tqz

— Hoover Institution (@HooverInst) August 30, 2021

The situation in Kabul is now so dire that there is no option but to report on the failures of the administration. For Afghanistan, the return of a critical press corps comes too late, writes @Ayaan Hirsi Ali: https://t.co/gAqSpfHq3j

— Hoover Institution (@HooverInst) August 28, 2021

Ex-military officers call for Austin, Milley to resign over Afghanistan debacle https://t.co/9bZ2dTuS44 pic.twitter.com/1b2psOkpPl

— New York Post (@nypost) September 1, 2021

.@mehdirhasan: Biden’s decision to withdraw now is not, as his critics say, “an indelible stain on his presidency” or a “cowardly betrayal” or a sign of “weakness.” It is perhaps the boldest foreign policy move by a president in my lifetime. https://t.co/1jm5aVghT4

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 1, 2021

https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/1432893241091842050

You can watch President Biden's full address on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan here: https://t.co/2Ag5fYS1q8

— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) September 1, 2021

Opinion: Biden answers his critics on Afghanistan. Forcefully. https://t.co/DEEXFst9lc

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 1, 2021

Few people cut through the noise better than @danbalz, who has a smart take tonight of President Biden's address: "It was Biden as Biden. He now owns it all and will take the consequences." https://t.co/rCn2UGudyO

— Jeff Zeleny (@jeffzeleny) September 1, 2021

Meghan McCain Says She Thought She ‘Knew Biden,’ But Does ‘Not Recognize This Man’ Who Gave Speech About Afghanistan https://t.co/OqCnMSdPPt

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 1, 2021

This clip @IngrahamAngle just played is maddening. Here's Prime Minister Klain on Peacock dismissing the "heartbreaking scenes & difficulties" in Afghanistan as merely inevitable no matter how or when the U.S. left.

Tell that to the 13 families.

(And, yes, he was on Peacock.) pic.twitter.com/Y6qGiSBhRt

— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) September 1, 2021

US deaths in Afghanistan:

2001: 7
2002: 30
2003: 33
2004: 49
2005: 93
2006: 88
2007: 111
2008: 153
2009: 310
2010: 496
2011: 412
2012: 301
2013: 120
2014: 54
2015: 22
2016: 9
2017: 14
2018: 14
2019: 21
2020: 11
2021: 13

Future: ZERO

Thank you, @POTUS.

— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) September 1, 2021

I tried to bring the “human factor” behind this ongoing crisis in Afghanistan with @jaketapper this evening. We have much more to accomplish. Thank you Jake for having me on your show. pic.twitter.com/iHKT1lRvh1

— Col Rahman Rahmani (@rahmanrahmanee) September 1, 2021

Biden's Afghanistan Speech Shows He Is Sociopathic https://t.co/HleOOMs7BH

— RedState (@RedState) September 1, 2021

Oklahoma Republican threatened embassy officials while trying to enter Afghanistan: report https://t.co/KVistSlEAg pic.twitter.com/3INWg2TUBC

— The Hill (@thehill) September 1, 2021

If you are a resident or a business owner affected by Hurricane Ida in one of the designated parishes, federal assistance may be available to you to help with temporary housing, repairs, and more. Read more here, and register at https://t.co/9WBlCGzSaG https://t.co/H6resifz0O

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 31, 2021

Drone footage shows flooding and wind damage in LaPlace, Louisiana, after Hurricane Ida pounded the community nestled between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain. https://t.co/YHyy13o141 pic.twitter.com/JvXcm1FEiI

— ABC News (@ABC) August 31, 2021

An update on the situation in Louisiana with #HurricaneIda.
Let's pray for the state and the people that stayed behind and are enduring the storm. pic.twitter.com/cMaxVDGRuS

— EWTN News Nightly (@EWTNNewsNightly) August 31, 2021

In honor of #TimelapseTuesday, here is a GeoColor imagery loop of the path of #Ida as it strengthened into a hurricane and traveled toward Louisiana. It spans from Aug 25 to Aug. 29 and was captured by @NOAA's #GOESEast satellite. pic.twitter.com/25He8ywEVE

— NOAA Satellites (@NOAASatellites) August 31, 2021

Heavy rain will continue through Friday from the Tennessee Valley into southern New England as Ida curves northeast. Considerable flash flood impacts are possible (especially in northern WV, western MD , & southern PA) as Ida brings widespread 2-6 to the region. pic.twitter.com/UhjFpTWkB3

— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) August 31, 2021

Ida is now a tropical depression. On Tue-Wed the remnants of Ida will interact with and eventually merge with a frontal boundary, with the potential for heavy rain and flash & river flooding across parts of the Tennessee & Ohio Valleys, the central Appalachians & the mid Atlantic pic.twitter.com/QOIYIcetYu

— NWS Eastern Region (@NWSEastern) August 30, 2021

The remnants of Ida continue to track to the east with rainfall amounts ranging from 2 – 4". Heaviest totals are in the western and central Tennessee River basin. River flows are high but below flood stage levels. We are storing water in reservoirs at tributary river dams. pic.twitter.com/BfatKlO5Jo

— Tennessee Valley Authority (@TVAnews) August 31, 2021

Hurricane Ida has left millions of families without power and shelter. As the storm brings flash floods to Mississippi and Tennessee, we hope you’ll consider supporting those in need on the ground. https://t.co/28uLuFVQxs

— The Obama Foundation (@ObamaFoundation) August 31, 2021

One of Tennessee’s largest music festivals, Bonnaroo, is cancelled because of waterlogged grounds. This is the second year in a row that Bonnaroo was cancelled — although last year the cancellation was due to the pandemic. https://t.co/AffO1aMrT4

— NPR (@NPR) August 31, 2021

Forecasters say Tennesseans should prepare for the risk of flash flooding and severe thunderstorms as #HurricaneIda moves inland. Be prepared! Create an emergency kit, identify emergency storm shelters, monitor weather forecasts and review your existing insurance policies. pic.twitter.com/4vG5x20pL7

— Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (@TNCommerceInsur) August 30, 2021

Hurricane Ida has left Louisiana, crossed into Mississippi and headed towards Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/Vth9AsNkqw

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 30, 2021

Heavy rain & flash flooding continues as remnants of #Ida move over Tennessee pic.twitter.com/CcT9A2IKoH

— Jessie Uppal (@JessieUppalTWN) August 31, 2021

New #Packers punter Corey Bojorquez drilled a 74-yard punt against the Tennessee Titans last year in Week 5

pic.twitter.com/tw3xgVQiu6

— Greg Williams (@GregWilliams28) August 31, 2021

HURRICANE IDA: President Biden says the federal government will help Louisiana and Mississippi recover from #HurricaneIda. pic.twitter.com/l1Gxv3ZwpK

— Forbes (@Forbes) August 30, 2021

More than a million people are without power this morning in Louisiana and Mississippi as we begin to learn the extent of the damage from #Ida. pic.twitter.com/xDNPCmKA9s

— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) August 31, 2021

A Mississippi man just drove up to Shaquille Brewster's live shot and started screaming about covering the hurricane accurately pic.twitter.com/kHG0omBVSJ

— jordan (@JordanUhl) August 30, 2021

Republicans Governors have surrendered to COVID-19 even though we have at our disposal the tools to fight the virus — and win. https://t.co/ZsuSVltIlp

— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) August 30, 2021

More than a million people are without power across Louisiana and Mississippi after Ida barreled on land as a Category 4 hurricane. If you're in an area affected by the storm, here are some resources that can help you stay safe and informed: https://t.co/U8bU6TmPcX

— NPR (@NPR) August 30, 2021

More than 1 million customers in Louisiana had reportedly lost power by midday on August 30. Another 100,000 customers lost electricity in Mississippi and 12,000 in Alabama. pic.twitter.com/L4SHV8RFmm

— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth) August 30, 2021

Ida’s 150 mph winds tore roofs off buildings and snapped power lines across Louisiana. The storm surge was so powerful that it reversed the flow of the Mississippi River, blocked critical highways and trapped evacuees in their cars. pic.twitter.com/kZ6VmXjyhe

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 31, 2021

“Please help me yall," Daryian Hudson tweeted, along with the address of her grandparents, Evelina and Elliott Leblanc, whom, she said, were stuck in their attic in LaPlace, along the east bank of the Mississippi River. The couple are in their 70s.https://t.co/UdJWRdG1zf

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) August 30, 2021

Mississippi Power announces that 95 percent of customers impacted by Hurricane Ida will be fully restored by midnight tonight. pic.twitter.com/QYNL1PEdmI

— Mississippi Power (@MS_Power) August 30, 2021

Officials and residents agreed that the state was scarred but that it had evaded widespread devastation as Ida moved through Monday as a weakened but still threatening tropical storm. https://t.co/QuwAqROHSV

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 31, 2021

Latest on Ida:

• At least 4 dead; 2 in Louisiana, 2 in Mississippi
• No flights to, or from New Orleans airport on Tuesday
• Downgraded to tropical depression

Read more: https://t.co/22L3BagbMx

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 31, 2021

Major Storm Surge flooding in Laplace, LA. From Hurricane #Ida #HurricaneIda pic.twitter.com/SqBA2bFywj

— Mike Remaley (@mikeremaley1) August 30, 2021

Our thoughts are with Louisiana & Mississippi as they deal with the aftermath of #Ida. Nevada Task Force 1 was deployed to assist those facing the storm.

This video details some of the duties firefighters perform when they're sent to help other states. https://t.co/QO4SHMIkr4 pic.twitter.com/fCYkM6E0qD

— City of Las Vegas (@CityOfLasVegas) August 30, 2021

Here's the status on Entergy. It's not just the eight transmission lines serving New Orleans. More than 200 lines (2,000+ miles) are out across Louisiana and Mississippi. Damage assessment has just gotten started; a number of towers will need replacement https://t.co/Irv786FL1e

— Katherine Blunt (@KatherineBlunt) August 31, 2021

More than one million people are still without power in the US states of Louisiana and Mississippi following the fury of Hurricane Ida pic.twitter.com/emeevt8LcM

— TRT World (@trtworld) August 31, 2021

Checking out some of the damage at Grand Isle @LAStateParks today on our #HurricaneIda damage assessment flyover. #hurricaneseason2021 #LouisianaStrong pic.twitter.com/SSSKTiqBTw

— Office of Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser (@LouisianaLtGov) August 31, 2021

Hurricane Ida left residents without water and power as a heat index of 105 degrees is predicted for southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi https://t.co/mjblP6kz1E

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) August 31, 2021

IDA AFTERMATH: Video shows the destruction and flooding caused by Hurricane Ida in Louisiana’s coastal Plaquemines Parish on Monday. pic.twitter.com/jdqoH5KdPI

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) August 31, 2021

More than one million homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi were still without power on Tuesday morning after Hurricane Ida swept through the region. More than 16 inches of rain fell in some parts of Louisiana. https://t.co/cSpknYtDIu

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 31, 2021

The lashing winds have ceased and the downpours have stopped, but despite Hurricane Ida’s departure from Louisiana, recovery is far away for a state that is no stranger to storms and their aftermath. https://t.co/Sf0AuMLMuV pic.twitter.com/OTo1f6mK8X

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 31, 2021

A Louisiana man was missing and presumed dead after an alligator attacked him in an area that was flooded during Hurricane Ida, the authorities said. https://t.co/BH8Ty7NbB5

— The New York Times (@nytimes) August 31, 2021

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards tells residents who fled the state amid Hurricane Ida to stay away until officials with the state’s Homeland Security & Emergency Management office say it’s safe to return. https://t.co/b4djXCgOJ0

— NBC News (@NBCNews) August 31, 2021

A man attacked by a large alligator while walking through floodwaters in Louisiana is now missing. The man’s wife witnessed the attack and went to get help, but came back to find her husband no longer on the steps of their home where she had left him. https://t.co/1J6WLbI7cJ

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 31, 2021

Brandon Brexton Sr. beams after finding his son Brandon Jr., 10, safe and sound at a relative's house in LaPlace after Hurricane Ida.

Read the latest on Ida's impacts in LaPlace: https://t.co/Amn4toJDAz pic.twitter.com/AbtuF89nmW

— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) August 31, 2021

Just in: All Louisiana interstates have reopened, according to DOTD.

State officials still want you to stay off of them as much as possible. https://t.co/abRVEUkm2F

— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) August 31, 2021

Hurricane forecasters are tracking four disturbances, including Hurricane Ida and Kate.

It is too early to tell if Kate or the two other disturbances in the Caribbean and the Atlantic could threaten Louisiana. https://t.co/mLvax34r0z

— NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) August 31, 2021

President Biden approves major disaster declaration for La.https://t.co/OT7apqg81I

— WAFB (@WAFB) August 31, 2021

When asked about hurricane damage in his home state, Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) says, "Let me tell ya what would be a good start for the people of Louisiana: $85 billion worth of military equipment that was left behind in Afghanistan!" pic.twitter.com/LVMrTE0PvP

— The Recount (@therecount) August 31, 2021

70-year-old Theophilus Charles of Houma, Louisiana lost everything when Hurricane Ida hit his home.

"I was born here, we went through all the major hurricanes here. So I figured I could stay here and ride this one out, but I couldn't." pic.twitter.com/BwFCKGtti8

— AJ+ (@ajplus) August 31, 2021

In Ida's wake, Louisiana faces a month with no power as heat soars https://t.co/bQccvXHEUE pic.twitter.com/B9RrX4mpKt

— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) September 1, 2021

Pray for Grand Isle Louisiana. Fly over of the island. #ida #hurricane #grandisle #louisiana #20echo https://t.co/dSRBs0C1mv pic.twitter.com/qwzlXGFjq3

— 20Echo.com (@twentyecho) August 31, 2021

An overtopped levee in the Braithwaite community on the southeast side of New Orleans allowed water from the Mississippi River to inundate nearly the entire community. Video via Brandon Clement with @LiveStormsMedia #HurricaneIda pic.twitter.com/zJygtSO7Aj

— Ed Piotrowski (@EdPiotrowski) August 30, 2021

The line for gas near LaPlace, Louisiana. This area was devastated by Hurricane Ida. No homes have power, many have no water. It's rough. #HurricaneIda pic.twitter.com/beF7Gb6ULP

— Charlotte Cuthbertson (@charlottecuthbo) August 31, 2021

A tree was knocked over by powerful winds during Hurricane Ida and lifted the turf off the ground in one single sheet in front of a home in Morgan City, Louisiana. pic.twitter.com/i8e8yZHhvl

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 31, 2021

Lineman from across the country are traveling to Louisiana & Mississippi to help restore power lost during Hurricane #Ida. We also sent over 190 generators that are now in place to keep critical structures running properly.

More on our response efforts: https://t.co/V8E0OMbHEX pic.twitter.com/aJ9PO7Sf3h

— FEMA (@fema) August 31, 2021

We're working with our partners to move #Ida response & recovery efforts forward. We started conducting preliminary damage assessments in Louisiana this week in order to get survivors the support needed as quickly as possible. https://t.co/V8E0OMbHEX pic.twitter.com/RioBoWh45I

— FEMA (@fema) August 31, 2021

Hurricane #Ida caused significant damage to transmission lines. Energy Secretary @SecGranholm came to FEMA today for a brief on our response efforts. Getting the power back up in Louisiana is one of our top priorities. Thank you @ENERGY for your partnership in making this happen. pic.twitter.com/SkE9oZ4CrR

— FEMA (@fema) August 31, 2021

https://twitter.com/NOAASatellites/status/1432779809961172993

A truck filled with supplies is now en route to Louisiana to help Hurricane #Ida survivors. Help us provide flood relief, roofing materials and emergency meals for those who will be without power for weeks to come.

Fund this vital work: https://t.co/72eiUOXx6C pic.twitter.com/UMHR3WnGSu

— Send Relief (@sendrelief) August 31, 2021

MDOT crews are on scene assessing damage after a portion of SR 26 in George County washed out.

Crews are doing assessments to determine what all the repair will involve. #MShwys pic.twitter.com/7CwfMynls9

— MDOT (@MississippiDOT) August 31, 2021

DOTD crews from the Lake Charles District heading to Southeast Louisiana to clear roads, and help our DOTD family and fellow Louisianans recover. #LouisianaStrong #HurricaneIda pic.twitter.com/xlkTi48w3N

— Louisiana DOTD (@La_DOTD) August 31, 2021

Even though the storm has left Louisiana, recovery has just begun. Our #Ida coverage continues. pic.twitter.com/r4qg2aHJND

— The Weather Channel (@weatherchannel) August 31, 2021

We continue to see more video of the devastation across Southeast Louisiana following #Ida. in LaPlace, they sustained the lashes of the outer eyewall, as well as were flooded from Lake Pontchartrain. pic.twitter.com/MUqLrpHe0K

— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) August 31, 2021

Frontline Native communities in Louisiana and Mississippi were hit hard by #Ida. https://t.co/JK0SqGGJc9

— Rebecca Nagle (@rebeccanagle) August 31, 2021

Crews rolled out early this morning to join restoration efforts in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane #Ida. 12 Nolin RECC and Wide Open Utility Service employees are on their way to Baton Rouge to help at DEMCO, the largest co-op in the state. pic.twitter.com/WYCnrvofr6

— Nolin RECC (@NolinRural) August 31, 2021

Vaccine opposition dropped to its lowest reported levels at 14% of U.S. adults, a new poll shows. https://t.co/iYTqr1ba9J

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 31, 2021

“I was thrilled at the number of folks that stepped up and volunteered to leave their families and go down to Louisiana to help with this recovery effort.” -President & CEO Joe Nolan. Take a look as 14 CT crews, part of a larger convoy of Eversource resources, left Monday. #Ida pic.twitter.com/GjfbHH2Q61

— Eversource CT (@EversourceCT) August 31, 2021

https://twitter.com/TDEM/status/1432739101598437378