On that point, why is Biden so determined to kowtow to the Taliban? The president has seemingly done everything in his power to avoid alienating the terrorist group. First, he heavily restricted U.S. operations outside of the airport. Then, he agreed to the Taliban’s demand that the United States withdraw all forces by Aug. 31. Next, the president failed to hold the Taliban to their pledge to allow timely access to the airport to all those who needed it.

The Pentagon hasn’t been much better. Central Command’s top officer on Thursday pledged to “continue to coordinate with the Taliban” on security concerns. This does not inspire confidence in the security of Americans still in Afghanistan.

If Biden won’t admit that he has made terrible decisions in Afghanistan, then he needs to hold accountable those who failed to execute his orders competently. It is simply not believable that the deaths of a dozen and possibly more Americans was the best possible outcome.

Who miscalculated how quickly the Afghan government would collapse? Who decided that giving up Bagram Airfield and operating out of Kabul airport was the best option? Who decided to trust the Taliban to provide security?