THIS IS TRUECAR.
LOU: 100 AFGHAN SOLDIER, AT
LEAST 20 CIVILIANS KILLED IN A
SURPRISE TALIBAN ATTACK IN CITY
OF GHAZNI IN NORTHERN
AFGHANISTAN, OUR PRICE ATTACK --
SURPRISE ATTACK HAS GONE ON TO
FIVE DAYS OF WARFARE, CITY, ONLY
75 MILES FROM THE CAPITAL OF
KABUL IS UNDER STILL AFTER BEGAN
GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
BUT THE FIGHTING RAGES ON.
JOINING US, RETIRED FOUR-STAR
GENERAL, FOX BUSINESS STRATEGIC
ATTACK, AFTER ALL TROOPS, FORCES
>> WELL, FACT IS THAT WE HAVE
NEVER RECOVERED FROM THE AWFUL
DECISION THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA
MADE WHEN PETRAEUS AND
McCHRYSTAL CAME FORWARD TO
HIM, MADE A RECOMMENDATION, PUT
IN PLAY A COUNTER INSURGENCY
STRATEGY, HE AGREED WITH, THEN
WINNING STRATEGY IS 40,000
TROOPS, HE CUT THAT BY 25
PERCENT, AND SAID I'M PULLING
DECISION.
THAT DOOMED AFGHANISTAN TO THE
PATH WE'RE ON NOW, TO PRESIDENT
TRUMP, HIS NATIONAL SECURITY
TEAM, THEY KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE
A WINNING HAND, WHAT THE
PRESIDENT DECIDES TO DO IS SAID
I'M NOT GOING TO ARBITRARILY
WITHDRAW, I WILL STAY THE
COURSE, STRENGTHEN AFGHAN
NATIONAL ARMY AS BEST I WITH
ADVISERS, WHAT IS NOT STATED
WE'LL TRY TO CONVINCE TALIBAN
THEY CAN'T WIN, AND WE'LL BE
ABLE TO MAYBE WIN AT THE
NEGOTIATING TABLE.
AND END THIS POLITICALLY.
THAT IS KIND OF WHAT THE
INITIATIVE, FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT,
THE GOVERNMENT.
LOU: SMALL OUTPOST, DID FALL TO
THE TALIBAN.
GHAZNI IS STILL UNDER GOVERNMENT
CONTROL.
AFGHAN GOVERNMENT CONTROL.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THIS GHAZNI
AND THE TALIBAN DEFEATED IN
THEIR SO-CALLED SURPRISE
OFENGIVE?
>> --O
>> -- OFFENSIVE.
>> NO DOUBT WE HAVE TO TAKE IT
BACK, AND WE WILL, WE HAVE A
POLITICAL AND MORE CALL VICTORY
HERE, A PROMINENT CITY NOT FAR
FROM KABUL, THEY HAVE GOT WHAT
THEY WANT OUT OF THIS.
THEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED THEY ARE
STILL POWERFUL.
THEY WANT TO STAKE IN
AFGHANISTAN FOR THE FUTURE, AND
CARVE THAT STAKE OUT AS MUCH AS
THEY CAN MILITARILY, SO WHEN
THEY SIT DOWN AT NEGOTIATING
TABLE THEY WILL GET MORE OUT OF
THE DEAL.
>> IT IS WORTH CONSIDERING
DEEPLY CERTAINLY OUR MILITARY
AFGHANISTAN AFFECTIVE CONTROL IN
2002.
THROUGH ITS MEASURES LED IN SOME
U.S. SPECIAL FORCES THROUGHOUT
THE COUNTRY.
WE HAVE SQUANDERED THAT OVER THE
COURSE OF TIME THROUGH TWO
ADMINISTRATIONS, AND NOW WE'RE
FACED WITH A PROSPECT.
THE TALIBAN, WHICH CONTROLLED
THE COUNTRY ALL THOSE YEARS AGO.
WILL BE BACK AND JUSTS MENACING
IF NOT MORE SO IN WHAT WOULD BE
VICTORY.
WHAT ARE WE TO DO?
>> WELL, YOU ARE RIGHT.
WHAT HAPPENED TO US IS THAT IN
LATE 2001, 4 WEEKS AFTER THE
TALIBAN WERE DEFEATED BY THE
STRATEGY AND PEOPLE I JUST
DECISION TO GO TO WAR IN IRAQ.
AND WE HAVE NEVER RECOVERED FROM
THAT DECISION.
WE NEVER PUT ANY FORCES OF ANY
CONSEQUENCE BACK INTO
AFGHANISTAN.
MEANWHILE THE TALIBAN REEMERGED,
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE FORCES TO
STOP THEM FROM REEMERGING, AND
WE DID NOT BUILD AN AFGHAN
MILITARY, BECAUSE WE WENT OFF TO
FIGHT THE WAR IN IRAQ.
WE NEVER PUT FORCES BACK IN
2008, PRESIDENT BUSH DID IS END
OF HIS ADMINISTRATION, AND WHAT
UNFOLDED WHAT I DESCRIBED IN
2009-10, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A
SECONDARY EFFORT.
IT IS TRAGIC, 17 YEARS, UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA MOST POWERFUL
MILITARY IN WORLD CAN'T DEFEAT
PEOPLE RUNNING AROUND WITH AA,
OKAY
AKAY
AK-47, MY VIEW, IF YOU ARE GOING
TO FIGHT A WAR, YOU SHOULD MAKE
UP YOUR MIND TO WIN IT, GET IT
DONE.
LOU: WE DID THAT.
IN 2002.
AS WE NOTED.
IT IS TO ME YOU KNOW AS
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS POINTED OUT.
YOU CAN PUT NUMBER AT 6 TRILLION
OR 7 TRILLION.
BUT IRAQ COST US, AFGHANISTAN.
HALF THAT IS COME TO THIS.
PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS SAID IN HIS
CAMPAIGN, WE HAVE TO HAVE A
SMART GOVERNMENT, AND A SMART
MILITARY.
AND RIGHT NOW WE JUST DON'T LOOK
VERY SMART, DO WE?
>> NO.
THE GOOD DECISION THAT PRESIDENT
MADE WAS TO STAY THE COURSE, BUT
WE STILL DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT
RESOURCES IN.
WE'RE COMMITTING -- WE HAVE
SPOKEN ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
THIS IS THE ELEPHANT IN THE
ROOM, PERMITTING AFGHAN TALIBAN
TO HAVE TWO SANCTUARIES IN
GET THAT FROM CHINESE REALLY
EASY, WE HAVE TO PUT REAL
WILLING TO DO,.
I HOPE THIS ONE STEPS UP, THAT
WILL REALLY START TO HAVE AN
IMPACT ON THE TALIBAN, WHERE
THEY CAN'T TAKE REFUGE WHERE
LEADERS ARE, THEY DO THEIR
TRAINING, AND THEY LEAVE BATTLE
DEFEATED WHETHER THERE ARE
SANCTUARIES YOU ON SIDE OF THE
COMBAT ZONE,
COMBAT ZONE AND WE'RE TOLERATING
IT.
LOU: AND CREATING DEATH AND
DEVASTATION ACROSS THE GLOBE.
WHY DON'T WE DESTROY THE POPPY
FIELDS?
>> WE CAN.
>> I KNOW.
>> IT TAKES A LITTLE WILL ON OUR
PART, WE WOULD NEED COOPERATION