Third, in both cases, advisors to Trump got him excited about the prospect of making US support contingent on exploitation of the country’s mineral wealth (for #Afghanistan, that was Erik Prince’s proposal to privatize the war). 4/n www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi... - ThreadSky

jjschroden.bsky.social • 7 days ago

Third, in both cases, advisors to Trump got him excited about the prospect of making US support contingent on exploitation of the country’s mineral wealth (for #Afghanistan, that was Erik Prince’s proposal to privatize the war). 4/n

https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/09/05/heres-the-blueprint-for-erik-princes-5-billion-plan-to-privatize-the-afghanistan-war/

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jjschroden.bsky.social•7 days ago

Fourth, in both cases, Trump decided to negotiate directly with the warring adversary, leaving the US partner out of the room while deciding its fate. In both cases, this greatly angered the partner’s leaders. 5/n

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna983326

jjschroden.bsky.social•7 days ago

Fifth, in both cases, a deal was almost reached at one point, but then fell apart due to perceived slights against President Trump. 6/n

https://www.voanews.com/amp/usa_taliban-denounce-trumps-move-call-peace-talks-claim-us-will-return-negotiate/6175379.html

jjschroden.bsky.social•7 days ago

Sixth, in both cases, a deal was supposed to be contingent on a comprehensive ceasefire (for #Afghanistan, this didn’t happen; the US eventually accepted a pledge of no attacks on US forces & a Taliban verbal promise to reduce violence against Afghans).

7/n

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/world/asia/taliban-peace-deal-afghanistan.html

jjschroden.bsky.social•7 days ago

And seventh, when things weren’t going well, the Trump White House threatened the partner with reduction of US assistance to get them to acquiesce.

8/n

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/23/pompeo-afghanistan-taliban-aid-145331

jjschroden.bsky.social•7 days ago

(Another parallel that’s not to Trump but to the two countries’ situation more broadly is that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made his own last-ditch trip to the Oval Office that also didn’t go well). 9/n

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PRyiUnWqKSg

jjschroden.bsky.social•7 days ago

There are obviously many differences between #Afghanistan & #Ukraine—as well as the wars in those countries—but these parallels on the US side are nonetheless striking. 10/n

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