Afghan people are being gaslighted at a time when their lives, livelihood, and future are at stake. Below are some of the arguments that are being wheeled out to justify this gross act of disregard for Afghan lives: (We couldn’t stay forever) The US has been in Germany and S Korea for decades. The US kept a tiny force in Afghanistan that mostly provided air and strategic support to Afghan forces. Peacebuilding requires time. They chose to leave and bring back the Taliban.

Millions of Afghans are experiencing trauma today. Those in Afghanistan are in a state of survival as the US military throws around its weight in Kabul one last time and the Taliban takeover is nearing complete. Imagine a tiger cornering you in a cage. Those of us outside are also experiencing trauma and guilt. We’ve been through similar events. I broke down when I saw the bridge to Uzbekistan blocked with people to leave – the same bridge my family crossed years ago. PTSD is real.