Michael Hughes: The U.S. handed Afghanistan back to the Taliban to end America’s role in the war, knowing full well that doing so would make the country seem even more comfy to jihadist groups. So long as Afghan-based terrorists did not target the U.S. homeland, Washington could care less about other scenarios.
If, for instance, Afghan-based terrorists targeted neighboring states or regional actors, it would not be seen as America’s problem. And, if said states and actors also happened to be U.S. rivals, it would be seen as much more than a nice bonus. In fact, that jihadist groups would target non-allies was seen by Washington as among the top benefits of exiting – a benefit it appears the U.S. is reaping.