President Joe Biden’s image is now literally falling into disgrace as the Times of London holds him up for ridicule.
On Wednesday, the Times published a cartoon by Morten Morland that runs through a series of rather prune-faced G-7 leaders of Britain, Japan, Germany, Canada, Italy and France. All of the images are a setup for the final panel, which shows Biden kneeling with his hands behind his back and flanked by two very large Taliban gunmen.
Today’s @thetimes cartoon https://t.co/aVTkETH3m5 pic.twitter.com/csHbYldVgJ
— Morten Morland (@mortenmorland) August 25, 2021
The cartoon was likely prompted by Biden’s slavish acquiescence to a Taliban demand that U.S. troops leave Afghanistan no later than Biden’s initial Aug. 31 deadline, even if that means leaving Afghan allies behind.
Because allied nations rely on U.S. troops for intelligence and security, they are constrained to follow the U.S. lead — even after imploring Biden to remain after Aug. 31 — and depart when the Kabul airport is turned over to the Taliban.
Disgust and disdain flowed in British newspapers.
“For President Biden, the ‘nice guy’ image has gone out of the window. His reputation and legacy have been tarnished for good. Many in the US are recalling Barack Obama’s reported statement about his deputy: ‘Never underestimate Joe’s ability to screw things up,’” Robin Renwick wrote in the U.K.’s Telegraph, adding that “every jihadist on the planet is now celebrating this huge boost to their morale.”
“Following the Afghan debacle, there is now an issue of US credibility. Biden contends that his allies have not criticized US withdrawal. But their arguments against it, along with those of the US military, were ignored and no one can justify the way in which it has been carried out,” Renwick wrote.
Another Telegraph commentary was headlined, “Joe Biden’s betrayal: Allies can never trust this president again.”
British politician Nigel Farage said Biden has poisoned the future of the American-British alliance against terrorism, according to Fox News.
Farage questioned, if there is a new spike in terrorism, “[H]ow do we go out again and try and stop these cells that are spreading international terror? How can we do it with the Americans? How can we do it with an ally that is treating us with contempt and betrayed us and into the bargain, many of our own citizens?”
“Certainly, if it’s a Biden or Harris administration, honestly, there is no way, there is no way a British parliament right now would vote for military cooperation with America led by this administration,” he said.
Farage said Biden has destroyed more than a century of trust.
“[S]ince 1917, the U.K. and America have been side by side in virtually every major conflict. We’ve been the closest allies in terms of military action, in terms of intelligence sharing, in terms of culture, in terms of business. You couldn’t have a better ally in the world. And right at the moment, I’m sorry, but there’s no way we could enter into another operation with you,” he said.
Other nations’ officials have also said Biden has covered himself with shame in the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Armin Laschet, a German conservative seeking to become chancellor, labeled Biden’s retreat “the greatest debacle that NATO has experienced since its foundation,” according to The New York Times.
Josep Borrell Fontelles, the foreign affairs chief of the European Union, said Biden’s fast exit was “a catastrophe for the Afghan people, for Western values and credibility and for the developing of international relations.’’
Via The Western Journal.