I agree with your characterization of the Iraq invasion and the politics around it. However, I disagree with your claim that the fall of Afghanistan was planned

I agree with your characterization of the Iraq invasion and the politics around it. However, I disagree with your claim that the fall of Afghanistan was planned and unavoidable for the following reasons: - The Trump deal was conditional on the Taliban meeting requirements they ended up not meeting (supporting other terrorist groups), which would have invalidated that agreement. Additionally that agreement was very high-level with details left open-ended, and it could have been implemented via a safer, phased withdrawal. I say this as someone who recognizes Trump could also have led the US to this same (or far worse) outcome. - The Biden administration had every authority to change course from Trump. Clearly Biden had no problem doing so with a list of immediate executive orders, and he could have made different choices here. In fact he already did, since he withdrew by August rather than May (a departure from the Trump-Taliban agreement). - Biden repeatedly claimed that there was no way the Taliban could overwhelm the Afghan army, but that's what happened. This seems like an unplanned outcome (the alternative is that Biden lied to the US public and the world). - Other allies like Germany were also blindsided by the unilateral choice to withdraw as the US did, which left them scrambling to figure out a safe exit for their people and other collaborators. - The US could have left a small force of 2500 to help keep the peace - that seems like a small price to keep the Afghanistan government together for another generation. - The US could have taken stronger action historically against Pakistan, which has provided a safe space for various terrorist groups to rebuild, including both Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Even doing so now, while continuing military support of the Afghan government, could have set up for a safer future withdrawal.