The Biden Admin. has been making a big deal about the "success" of the U.S. in airlifting people from Afghanistan? Why are we conducting an airlift anyway? Why not a huge road convoy? It is how the Russians pulled out. Sure, we don't have a land border with Afghanistan, but Pakistan does. And they are supposed to be allies of us. You could put far more people in convoys that you can aboard the largest transport aircraft. Of course the answer is obvious. Convoys would probably be attacked on the move by the Taliban and/or their sympathizers. And above all the Biden Admin. wants to avoid having to engage enemies on the way out.
Pakistan is not a real country, and only parts of it are nominal 'allies'. A more pertinent issue is why we abandoned Bagram airfield. That didn't make any sense at all, especially re American evacuation needs.
The Soviets shared a border with Afghanistan, the US does not. All the Soviets had to do was drive across this bridge, and they were outside of Afghanistan and back in their own country. And as there are no ports, the only way left really is by air. Unless you can name a neighboring country that is going to allow Afghans in so they can be airlifted from there.
Of course, they also controlled India at the time. Which in that time they also controlled what is now both India and Pakistan.
Sounds sensible to me. What leader deliberately puts his military troops into harm's way? If he did there are those who wouldn't like it, aren't there?
