Feaver served on the White House National Security Council under President George W. Bush, who launched the war in Afghanistan in late 2001. If they can safely evacuate tens of thousands of American citizens and Afghan allies until, and perhaps beyond, Biden’s August 31 deadline, the White House can replace a story of initial humiliation and failure with one of competence and success. Millennials who grew up watching the agonizing struggles of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Anderson said, are significantly less likely than their elders to support the projection of American military power abroad.