THE critical errors in the Afghanistan catastrophe were not Boris Johnson’s lack of preparation or Dominic Raab’s holiday.
They were the staggering failure by “experts” around Joe Biden to predict the Taliban retaking the country in days. And Biden’s obstinate refusal to change course when they did.
Everything hinged on that. The death, panic, misery and horrific betrayal of the last fortnight was the result of the extremists conquering Kabul so rapidly — and they and Biden both holding fast to the August 31 deadline to get out.
US intelligence, though they dispute it now, first thought there was an outside chance the American-trained Afghan army of around 200,000 could fold in as little as three months. It did so in days.
Some criticism of our Government’s sluggish initial handling of the crisis has merit.
Most is a mere distraction, Labour’s usual vacuous opportunism.
Biden, though, has no excuse. Yes, his advice was wrong. Yes, he inherited Trump’s rash deal with the Taliban. But had the President cared enough or been more alert he could have changed course.
Trump’s “Sleepy Joe” jibe always seemed a bit desperate. It was more accurate and more consequential than we knew.
OUR jabs rollout has saved 100,000 lives — but complacency is our enemy.
Some EU nations have caught up and overtaken us. And our daily new infections of 30,000-plus and weekday deaths stubbornly over 100 remain significant.
Going into winter with those levels, alongside a possible flu epidemic, looks a grim scenario.
So Boris Johnson is rightly frustrated the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation still hasn’t approved jabs for kids of 12 to 15.
Get on with it. The faster the entire country is done, the better.
And roll out boosters now for ALL those double-jabbed. There is already evidence of waning protection against infection, even if the vaccines still work wonders at preventing serious illness.
The Sun will do its part, relaunching our Jabs Army to help the next phase.
Do sign up if you can.
TWO words make a mockery of the US trying to cajole Britain into handing over Prince Andrew: Anne Sacoolas.
Don’t get us wrong. We believe the Prince must give evidence over his evil sex-trafficking friend Jeffrey Epstein.
But for Biden to publicly remind us of our “close and resilient” evidence-sharing relationship takes the biscuit.
US citizen Sacoolas was charged here with causing teenager Harry Dunn’s death by dangerous driving.
We applied for her extradition after she fled back home. America turned us down flat.
Is it any wonder no one’s in a hurry to give up the Queen’s son?
