and then to say it wasn't working so why stay.
We were there because of 9/11. It was always about containing terrorism first. Nation-building was a side-show. Nice if we can do it. Helpful in the war against terrorism if it works, for sure. But not an obligation.
It would be nice if the folks who were keen to leave would at least engage with the issues. There are actual costs. You can judge the benefits are greater. But ignoring costs makes for bad decisions.