CONTROL OF THE COUNTRY AND DO
KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT PLANES
AND JETS.
LET’S GO TO ROB O’NEILL, THE MAN
THAT SHOT OSAMA BIN LADEN,
RETIRED NAVY SEAL.
THIS BACK AND FORTH ON WHO
CONTROLS THE AIRPORT IS MORE
THAN AN ACADEMIC DEBATE.
IF YOU’RE THE TALIBAN, YOU WANT
TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU’RE CALLING
THE SHOTS THERE, RIGHT?
>> THEY’VE BEEN PLANNING WHAT TO
DO WHEN WE WITHDRAW IN PAKISTAN
FOR, YOU KNOW,20 YEARS RIGHT NOW.
THIS TALIBAN/ISIS-K/HAKANI, THEY
USE THIS AGAINST US.
WHEN THEY DO SOME B.S.
NEGOTIATIONS, THEY BEING THE
TALL CAN AND ISIS-K COMES IN,
THE TALIBAN CAN SAY OH, THAT
WASN’T US.
THAT WAS ISIS.
IT’S ALL THE SAME DUDES.
THEY’RE WAVING DIFFERENT FLAGS.
THEY’RE WARRIORS AND WAR LORDS
THAT HAVE DONE THIS A LONG TIME.
SOME GUYS FROM SYRIA, FOREIGN
FIGHTERS.
MANY OF THE SAME GROUP OF
PEOPLE.
IT BAFFLES ME THAT WE’RE
CONSIDERING NEGOTIATING WITH THE
TALIBAN.
EVERYONE OUTSIDE THE WAR IS
TALIBAN.
WHY DO WE JUST KILL THEM?
A GOOD IDEA.
WE SHOULDN’T BE NEGOTIATING WITH
THEM.
THE FACT THAT WE’RE TRYING TO
LEGITIMIZE THEM AS A GOVERNMENT
IS AN INSULT THAT EVERYBODY THAT
FOUGHT AND DIED IN THAT COUNTRY.
THEY’RE DOING THIS AND LAUGHING
AT US AND GOING TO ATTACK US
AGAIN.
THEY’RE EXTENDING THE PERIMETER.
THEY KNOW THEY CAN GET CLOSE TO
US, LET THE DUDES IN WITH THE
GUNS AND THEY’LL DO IT AGAIN.
IT’S GOING TO GET WORSE.
THE MORE PEOPLE WE EBB VAC THE
WORSE IT’S GOING TO GET FOR THE
AMERICANS ON THE GROUND.
IT’S SHAMEFUL.
I HAVE NOT TALKED TO ONE VETERAN
THAT APPROVES.
IT’S DISGUSTING.
>> Neil: I HAD A FEELING THE
PRESIDENT IS GOING TO TAKE YOU
UP ON THAT ADVICE.
IF HE GETS OUT ON THE 31st, ROB
BE, HE INDICATED IN AN
INTERESTING REFERENCE HERE THAT
HISTORICALLY ANY TIME WE LEAVE A
WAR AREA, WE LEAVE PEOPLE
BEHIND.
I’M PARAPHRASING HERE.
HIS MESSAGE SEEMED TO TELEGRAPH
THAT LOOK, WHEN WE GO, THERE’S
GOING TO BE SOME THAT WE LEAVE
BEHIND.
MAYBE QUITE A FEW.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> WELL, IT’S VERY EASY TO SAY
THAT WHEN YOU WEAR A SUIT IN THE
BELTWAY.
WE SAY WE LEAVE THINGS BEHIND.
THOSE ARE REAL PEOPLE THAT
REALLY DIE.
HE DIDN’T KNOW.
HE WAS A SENATOR IN THE FALL OF
SAIGON.
LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOU’LL
HEAR OVER THE HORIZON, THE NEXT
ONE IS THE NEXT RIDGELINE.
YOU’LL HEAR CUTE STUFF LIKE
THAT.
THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY’RE
TALKING ABOUT, THEY DON’T LISTEN
TO THEIR MEME AND DON’T LISTEN
TO PEOPLE ON THE GROUND.
HOPEFULLY THINKING WE CAN LEAVE
AND THIS QUICK NEWS CYCLE WE’LL
FORGET ABOUT IT.
NO ONE HAS CELL PHONES, WE DON’T
KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON AND WHO IS
GETTING BEHEADED.
WE’LL FORGET ABOUT IT BY THE
NEXT MID-TERMS.
>> Neil: I’M CURIOUS, IF YOU
DON’T MIND -- I’M HOOKED WITH
THE ISIS-K THING.
FORGIVE ME.
I DO REMEMBER WHEN THE TALIBAN
TOOK OVER AND ONE OF THE FIRST
PEOPLE THAT THEY SHOT AND KILLED
WAS THIS PRESUMABLY ISIS-K
LEADER.
THERE WERE SIMILAR SUCH
INCIDENTS AROUND AFGHANISTAN.
ALL RIGHT.
THEY’RE NOT CLOSE BUDS OR
FRIENDS.
ARE YOU SAYING NOW THAT THEY
WILL BE SO BECAUSE AS MUCH AS
THEY DISLIKE AND COMPETE WITH
EACH OTHER, THEY REALLY HATE US?
THAT’S WHAT BONDS THEM?
>> WELL, THEY NEED US OUT OF
THERE.
THAT’S WHAT BONDS THEM.
THEY HAVE A SIMILAR IDEOLOGY.
YOU HAVE TO FIGURE THIS HAPPENED
IN THE EARLY 90s WHEN THE
RUSSIANS LEFT AND YOU HAVE SEVEN
WAR LORDS TRYING TO FIGHT OVER
KABUL.
THEY’LL GET THERE AND TAKE THE
COUNTRY AND THEN FIGHT EACH
OTHER.
THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR A FEW
THOUSAND YEARS.
IT’S NOT GOING TO CHANGE.
THEY DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER.
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN POWER
POSITIONS DON’T LIKE EACH OTHER.
SOME OF THE NEGOTIATIONS END IN
DEATH.
>> Neil: YOU THINK, ROB, AS
THINGS STAND NOW, THAT THIS
COUNTRY ONES AGAIN IS A BREEDING
GROUND FOR TROUBLE MUCH AS IN
PAKISTAN IT WAS OSAMA BIN LADEN
AND ELSEWHERE, THAT THIS IS
GOING TO BECOME THE NEW
LAUNCHING PAD FOR ATTACKS ON
UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE?
>> YEAH, THERE’S GOING TO BE
TRAINING GROUNDS THERE.
IT’S ALWAYS BEEN A PLACE LIKE
THAT.
THIS IS GOING TO GET WORSE
BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE THE
ISLAMIC MILITANTS MOVING IN.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR IS
THE CHINESE COMING IN NOW TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF THE NATURAL
RESOURCES AND MOVING STUFF IN
BETWEEN CHINA, WHICH BORDERS
AFGHANISTAN INTO THE SEA THERE.
IT’S CHAOS IN KABUL EXCEPT THE
CHINESE EMBASSY AND THE RUSSIAN
EMBASSY.
A BIG PICTURE PLAN THERE.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
WAIT AND SEE WHEN SOMEONE LIKE
TAIWAN NEEDS AN ALLY.
IT’S NOT UNITED STATES BECAUSE
WE DON’T HAVE THE STOMACH FOR
IT.
>> Neil: ROB O’NEILL, THE GUY
THAT SHOT OSAMA BIN LADEN.