U.S. Beefing Up for Afghan Withdrawal

Wall Street Journal: “The Pentagon is sending B-52 bombers to the Mideast alongside an aircraft carrier as a signal to Taliban militants that the U.S. intends to ensure a peaceful withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.”

“The White House on Friday is expected to approve the temporary deployment of the carrier and as many as six B-52 bombers as a way to protect American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization forces as they leave Afghanistan starting in less than two weeks, the officials said. President Biden announced on April 14 that he was ending the American role in the 20-year-old conflict.”

Meanwhile, from Gallup: “The announcement of the proposed new defense budget and the pending withdrawal of all remaining troops from Afghanistan most likely will not have a major impact on the equanimity of the American public. Neither is a hot-button issue about which Americans are expressing deep concern, and available data do not show signs of significant opposition to either decision.”