3 critical things the US president didn’t address at his UNGA speech, but should have

US President Joe Biden delivered his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 22, stressing that it was “time to move on”. The President's address focused heavily on the need for “global unity” against common world threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the importance of shifting the world's resources from “fighting wars” to managing the shifts in global power dynamics.

Biden's address was particularly significant not only because it was his first after he assumed the operations of the Oval Office, but also because it followed the country's disorderly pullout from Afghanistan. The US ended its longest war in history, spanning 20 years, and airlifted the last of its troops from the nation on August 31. 

In his UNGA speech, however, Biden strayed away from the Afghanistan crisis, which only saw a brief mention in his 30-minute address. Instead, he stressed that the US would now initiate an 'era of relentless diplomacy' and said that its military power will be a 'tool of last resort.'

Here are 3 crucial points that Biden ducked in his speech.

The chaotic Afghanistan pullout

United States' mammoth evacuation operations did not go as smoothly as they would have liked. The country refrained from extending its August 31 deadline after the Taliban threatened retaliation, owing to which it was forced to leave behind its citizens and Afghan allies in the Taliban-controlled regime. Criticism mounted after Biden stated that chaos was 'inevitable' and that even US intelligence had not predicted the fall of Kabul so quickly. Bi-partisan senators came down heavily on the pullout saying that it could have been handled better. 

However, at the global forum, Afghanistan found only a short mention. "UNSC adopted a resolution outlining how to support people of Afghanistan, laid out the expectations from the Taliban...” Biden said. This was the only scant mention of the Afghanistan crisis in his address, a crisis heavily stirred by its actions.

Taliban terror & plight of civilians

Desperation amongst Afghan civilians left at the mercy of the Taliban militants was evident through the visuals that began emerging from the Kabul airport following the US withdrawal. Shortly after the exit, the Taliban began door-to-door searches, targeted killings and a crackdown on human rights, especially those of women. From ousting all women in political and social spheres to centring the education of girls along the guidelines of the Islamic Sharia Law, the situation began to reflect the Afghanistan of the 1990s. However, the plight of the civilians under the Taliban rule was amiss from the President's speech. 

In a brief mention of women's rights, Biden said, "We must have a case for the rise of women (in Afghanistan) to contribute economically, politically and socially and to, use their fill talents and pursue their dreams free of violence and intimidation."

Pakistan's support to the Taliban

Pakistan's active role in the fall of the Panjhsir valley- the last bastion of the resistance forces in Afghanistan had drawn severe criticism from across the world. Even as Secretary Antony Blinken asserted that the US would 'reassess ties' with Pakistan over its role, the same was amiss from the President's speech. In his address, he refrained from calling out Pakistan or the Taliban and how it will be held accountable for its actions. In an arbitrary statement, Biden said, "The future will belong to those who embrace human dignity, not trample it. The future will belong to those who unleash the potential of their people, not those who stifle it."