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A LOT TO UNPACK THERE.
JUST TO GET BACK TO THOSE CONTACTS AND AFGHANS ON THE GROUND WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU AND YOUR TEAM, I BELIEVE YOU'RE HELPING TO FACILITATE SOME OF THEIR TRIPS OUT OF THE COUNTRY AS WELL.
IS THAT TRUE?
WELL, WE'RE TRYING TO.
WE'RE USING THE STATE DEPARTMENT SYSTEM AND WE'VE WORKED WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT FOR WEEKS GIVING THEM THE NAMES OF PEOPLE.
WE'RE JUST SO HAPPY THAT OUR IMMEDIATE STAFF LEFT AND GOT OUT, NOW WE'RE WORKING TO GET THE AFGHANS OUT.
JOHN, LET'S START UNPACKING THIS AND ANSWERING SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT YOU IMPORTANTLY LAID OUT THERE.
20 YEARS LATER WHY ARE WE IN THIS POSITION?
WHAT DID THE MILITARY -- IS IT AN INTELLIGENCE FAILURE, A DIPLOMATIC FAILURE?
WHAT WENT WRONG?
WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK DIRECTLY FOR THE ISSUE ABOUT THE SIV PROGRAM AND THE OTHER PROGRAM TO GET PEOPLE OUT.
OUR REPORT DOESN'T FOCUS ON THAT.
WE FOCUS ON THE RECONSTRUCTION ELEMENT WHICH INCLUDES THE TRAIN, ADVISE AND ASSIST MISSION.
WHAT WE -- THE BOTTOM LINE OF OUR REPORT IS THAT WE WERE ILL PREPARED AND OUR COUNTRY IS ILL PREPARED FOR SUCH A HUGE TASK AND IN PART IS BECAUSE WHEN WE WERE IN VIETNAM AND AFTER VIETNAM WE DECIDED, THE ADMINISTRATIONS DECIDED AND CONGRESS TO BASICALLY CUT THE USAID'S CAPABILITY, STATE DEPARTMENT'S CAPABILITY, D.O.D.'S CAPABILITY TO CARRY OUT SUCH A COMPLEX AND MAJOR TASK.
YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, THIS WAS THE LARGEST DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT SINCE THE MARSHALL PLAN, AND IT ACTUALLY COST MORE THAN THE MARSHALL PLAN.
WE ELIMINATED THAT BECAUSE WE THOUGHT WE WOULD NEVER DO THIS AGAIN.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DID IT AGAIN IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
WE DID IT THREE TIMES IN THE LAST 50 YEARS AND WE'RE DOING SORT OF NASCENT PROGRAMS LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW IN AFRICA.
I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THAT WE SHOULD DO A RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAM IN A VERY DANGEROUS ENVIRONMENT OF HAITI.
I'M NOT OPPOSED TO DOING THAT.
THERE PROBABLY IS A NEED TO DO THAT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
BUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS LEARN SOME LESSONS FROM THE FAILURE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS REPORT IS ALL ABOUT.
About This Episode EXPAND
How could the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan have been handled differently? John Sopko and General Joseph L. Votel (Ret.) weigh in. Plus: “When the Stars Begin to Fall” author Theodore R. Johnson explains why structural racism is an existential threat to the idea of America.
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