The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was more former President Trump's fault than Biden's.

Don't blame Afghan debacle on Biden

President Biden may have made foreign policy mistakes; however, blaming him for "the early abandonment of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan" as op-ed writer Jonah Goldberg did in his April 21 column, is not one of them. The Afghan government was abandoned when President Trump excluded them from an agreement he made with the Taliban in February 2020 to withdraw all U. S. troops by May 1, 2021 and release 5,000 Taliban prisoners. At that point, the Afghan government was rendered null and void. On Aug. 15, 2021, the Afghan government fled and abandoned the people of Afghanistan to the Taliban.

Henry Quartullo, West Palm Beach

Biden's standing in Florida: Poll: Trump easily tops Biden in Florida as he scores well with Hispanics, younger voters

Storm season means lake discharges

I am concerned that predictions of an active hurricane season may make high-volume discharges from Lake Okeechobee inevitable. Summer discharges also carry with them the threat of blue-green algae. These blooms pose a threat to our ecosystem and endanger public health and the livelihoods of countless residents and businesses. Many remember the “Lost Summers” of 2013, 2016 and 2018, when serious algal blooms caused severe economic repercussions. Current predictions call for 23 named storms, 11 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes. All much higher-than-average numbers. These storms can cause direct, devastating damage to our coastal communities as well as major, indirect impacts like high-volume and prolonged Lake Okeechobee discharges to the coastal estuaries.

We must keep an eye on Lake Okeechobee and how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District are managing it. These two agencies must work together to take proactive steps that address Lake Okeechobee water levels and the imminent threat of discharges and algal blooms. Sending lake water south would restore the lake’s already fragile ecology and reduce the potential for damaging discharges to the estuaries. We must safeguard our environment, protect public health, and ensure our economic resiliency.

Anthony Brunet is communications coordinator for the Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart.

Ukraine aid delay an embarrassment

The Americans did not win the Revolutionary War without help from France. We didn't win World War II without the Allies. How do we expect the small country of Ukraine to defend its homeland without the help of the United States and NATO? Why did it take six long months to send additional aid? I’m embarrassed and ashamed of us. Ukraine is defending Europe (and the world) against a Russian dictator who aims to rebuild the Russian Empire. Remember Hitler? Finally Mike Johnson admitted that he “would rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys.” As members of NATO, we would be obligated to send American soldiers if Russia wins and continues its conquest of other countries in the NATO alliance. Thank you to all the sensible people in Congress who recognized the problem!

Edith Davis, Jupiter

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This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The Afghanistan debacle was more Donald Trump's fault than Joe Biden's