One of the WORST Foreign Policy Decisions in History?

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky recently characterized President Biden's decisions relative to the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan as among the worst in our history (see Biden’s Afghanistan decisions among worst in history). Really? Is it possible that the senator is engaging in just a little bit of hyperbole in these remarks?

To be sure, the deaths of thirteen service members and the injury of numerous others in the suicide bombing attack near the airport in Kabul was tragic; but how does that compare to the thousands of American and Afghan lives lost in Afghanistan over the last twenty years of war? How does that compare to George W. Bush's decision to invade Iraq over non-existent weapons of mass destruction? How many U.S. personnel lost their lives in that conflict? McConnell said that Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal was even worse than our exit from Saigon after the victory of the North Vietnamese. How many U.S. service members did we lose in that war? The worst foreign policy blunder in American History? What about the Bay of Pigs? What about Iran-Contra? What about Obama's red line in Syria? What about Trump's trade war with China or his decision to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens?

Of course, since we are still in the midst of watching the implementation of Biden's policies in Afghanistan, it is probably a little too soon to be trying to engage in any serious or meaningful evaluation of the consequences of those policies! I've said it before - the withdrawal of our personnel and friends from Afghanistan could almost certainly have been handled with greater finesse and grace. Even so, we are still a very long way away from designating that effort as a failure - only time will fully tell that story. McConnell and his allies should be rooting for Biden's policies there (and around the world) to succeed. After all, the successes and failures of any occupant of the Oval Office are the successes and failures of our entire nation (the president is supposed to represent and defend our interests before the rest of the world). In other words, maybe it would be prudent to dial back the rhetoric a little? What do you think Mitch? A little over the top?