WOULD YOU SEND YOUR OWN SON OR
DAUGHTER?
>> POWERFUL WORDS FROM PRESIDENT
BIDEN WHO, TODAY, FINDS HIMSELF
ON THE DEFENSIVE FROM ALL SIDES
OF THE POLITICAL DIVIDE,
DEFENDING HIS DECISION TO
WITHDRAW ALL U.S. FORCES FROM
AFGHANISTAN AMID WARNING FROM
HIS OWN GENERALS WHAT A BOON
THIS WILL BE FROM THE TALIBAN
AND AMONG CRITICISM FROM FELLOW
DEMOCRATS HE IS NOT MOVING
QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PROTECT AFGHAN
INTERPRETERS WHO RISKED THEIR
LIVES FOR MANY YEARS NOW TO
PROTECT AND AID THE U.S. EFFORTS
THERE.
PRESIDENT BIDEN SEEMED TO
DECLARE IN THE CLEAREST TERMS TO
DATE THAT THE 20-YEAR U.S.
EFFORT IN AFGHANISTAN WAS A
FAILURE.
>> I ARGUED FROM THE BEGINNING,
AS YOU MAY RECALL, IT CAME TO
LIGHT AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION
WAS OVER, THE LAST OF OUR
ADMINISTRATION, NO NATION HAS
EVER UNIFIED AFGHANISTAN.
NO NATION.
EMPIRES HAVE GONE THERE AND NOT
DONE IT.
>> OF THOSE COMMENTS
SPECIFICALLY, "THE NEW YORK
TIMES" ADDS THIS CONTEST, THAT
IT WAS A REFERENCE TO THE
BRITISH OCCUPATION OF THAT
COUNTRY IN THE 19th CENTURY AND
THE SOVIET EFFORT TO GAIN
CONTROL THERE THREE DECADES AGO.
"THE TIMES" ADDING THIS, QUOTE,
BOTH EFFORTS FAILED AND
MR. BIDEN WAS IN ESSENCE ADDING
THE UNITED STATES TO THE LIST.
JOINING OUR COVERAGE, PAUL
RIECKHOFF, FOUNDER OF IRAQ AND
AFGHANISTAN VETERANS OF AMERICA.
PRESIDENT OF RIGHTEOUS MEDIA AND
HOST OF THE INDEPENDENT
AMERICANS PODCAST.
JEREMY BASH IS HERE, FORMER
CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THE CIA AND
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND MSNBC
NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST.
PAUL RIECKHOFF, I START WITH
YOU.
YOU REACTION?
>> I THINK IT WAS A MIXED BAG.
THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT SPEECH
TO GIVE.
IT IS A VERY SOMBER TIME FOR OUR
MILITARY, FOR THE PEOPLE OF
AFGHANISTAN, FOR OUR ALLIES.
I THINK OVERALL THE MESSAGE WAS
GOOD.
IT IS TIME TO GET OUT, AND THE
WAY BIDEN FRAMED IT WAS
IMPORTANT, SAYING THAT WE HAD AN
OBJECTIVE TO KEEP AMERICA SAFE
FROM ATTACK AND WE HAD AN
OBJECTIVE TO KILL BIN LADEN, BUT
AT THE SAME TIME THE WAY WERE
GETTING OUT FEELS WRONG.
IT FEELS LIKE WE ARE WASHING OUR
HANDS OF THIS PROBLEM, WE ARE
GETTING OUT AS FAST AS WE CAN,
AND THERES A REAL CONCERN ABOUT
HIS MESSAGE BEING TOO OPTIMISTIC
AND TOO HOPEFUL.
THE REALITY IS THE TALIBAN IS
MOVING THROUGH THAT COUNTRY
FAST.
IT LOOKS BAD.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET
SLAUGHTERED.
WE MIGHT HAVE A HUMANITARIAN
DISASTER ON OUR HANDS, AND OUR
AFGHAN INTERPRETERS ARE BEING
LEFT TO DIE.
BIDEN CLEARLY DID NOT HAVE A
PLAN TO GET THEM OUT.
THEY SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE SAFE
ALREADY AND ONLY NOW IS HE
INTRODUCING A PLAN TO GET THEM
SOMEWHERE ELSE WITHOUT A REAL
PLAN.
LIKE HE DIDNT STAND UP AND SAY,
HEY, IF YOU ARE IN AFGHANISTAN
HERE IS THE WEBSITE YOU GO TO SO
YOU DONT GET MURDERED.
SO THERES A REAL CONCERN, I
THINK ESPECIALLY IN THE
VETERANS COMMUNITY, THAT WE ARE
LEAVING THIS THE WRONG WAY AND
THAT THE WORST MAY BE YET TO
COME.
>> JEREMY, I THINK THE PRESIDENT
VERY AWARE OF THIS CRITICISM
THAT PAUL IS ARTICULATING, IT IS
COMING FROM SOME MEMBERS OF HIS
OWN PARTY.
LET ME SHOW YOU SOME OF WHAT HE
SAID ABOUT OUR EFFORTS NOW.
>> WERE ALSO GOING TO CONTINUE
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE ON THE
AFGHAN NATIONALS WHO WORKED SIDE
BY SIDE WITH U.S. FORCES,
INCLUDING INTERPRETERS AND
TRANSLATORS, SINCE WERE NO
LONGER GOING TO HAVE MILITARY
THERE AFTER THIS.
OUR MESSAGE TO THOSE WOMEN AND
MEN IS CLEAR.
THERE IS A HOME FOR YOU IN THE
UNITED STATES IF YOU SO CHOOSE,
AND WE WILL STAND WITH YOU JUST
AS YOU STOOD WITH US.
>> SO, JEREMY, I GUESS MY
QUESTION IS, IF THE PRESIDENT
MADE CLEAR THAT THIS WAS HIS
VISION AND HIS PLAN FOR
AFGHANISTAN AT THE END OF THE
LAST ADMINISTRATION IN WHICH HE
SERVED, WHY WASNT THERE A PLAN
TO GET OUR INTERPRETERS AND OUR
FRIENDS AND THE PEOPLE WHO
WORKED ALONGSIDE US FOR THOSE 20
YEARS OF WAR OUT?
>> WELL, FIRST, NIKOLE, I THINK
THE COLE THAT BIDEN DELIVERED
TODAY IS HES LEVELING WITH THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND HE IS SAYING
OUR STRATEGY FOR 20 YEARS NOW
NEEDS TO CHANGE.
IT HASNT BEEN A FAILURE BECAUSE
THE MISSION HAS BEEN TO PREVENT
HOMELAND ATTACKS EMANATING FROM
AFGHANISTAN LIKE A 9/11 ATTACK,
AND WE HAVE DONE THAT
SUCCESSFULLY.
WE HAVE DONE THAT ACROSS
REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC
ADMINISTRATIONS.
SO TO THAT EXTENT THE MISSION
HAS BEEN ACHIEVED AND NOW IF WE
WANT TO RETAIN A ROBUST MILITARY
PRESENCE IN THE REGION, IN THE
MIDDLE EAST, TO FIND, FIX AND
FINISH ANY RESURGENT AL QAEDA OR
OTHER TERRORIST ATTACK
THREATENING OUR HOMELAND WE WILL
HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO SO,
BUT HAVING 2,500 TROOPS ON THE
GROUND IS NOT GOING TO BE THE
THING THAT DEFINES WHETHER OR
NOT WE CAN PROTECT OUR HOMELAND,
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE FACT THAT
WE HAVE OTHER TERRORIST THREATS
ACROSS THE GLOBE IN SYRIA, IN
YEMEN, IN AFRICA, AND WE HAVE TO
REPOSITION OUR FORCES TO DEAL
WITH THAT.
NOW, WITH RESPECT WITH THE
INTERPRETERS, I FULLY AGREE THAT
THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO HAVE
AN AGGRESSIVE PLAN TO GET THEM
OUT AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
IM TOLD FROM PEOPLE INSIDE THE
ADMINISTRATION THAT MORE THAN
1,000 ARE COMING OUT EVERY
MONTH.
THATS NOT FAST ENOUGH.
THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY PROVIDING
RESOURCES TO THEM SO THAT THEY
CAN GET TO THIRD COUNTRIES AND
MILITARY BASES, BUT AT THE END
OF THE DAY THERE ARE NUMEROUS
CONGRESSIONAL STATUTES AND LAWS
THAT REQUIRE INTELLIGENCE
ASSESSMENTS BEFORE PEOPLE CAN BE
REPATRIATED HERE, AND THE
ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING WITH
CONGRESS TO STREAMLINE THOSE SO
THAT THOSE PEOPLE CAN BE SAFELY
BROUGHT TO THE UNITED STATES IF
THEY WANT TO BE HERE.
BUT I THINK, AGAIN, THE BROADER
POINT HERE IS THAT 2,500 TROOPS
IN AFGHANISTAN IS NOT GOING TO
BE THE THING THAT PROTECTS OUR
HOMELAND.
WE HAVE TO HAVE AN AGGRESSIVE,
OVER-THE-HORIZON MILITARY FORCE
TO DO THAT.
>> PAUL RIECKHOFF, YOU MENTIONED
A LOT OF EMOTIONS.
CAN YOU JUST TAKE US THROUGH
WHAT THOSE ARE?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT
TO UNDERSTAND THAT MOST OF THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC HASNT BEEN
TRACKING ON AFGHANISTAN FOR THE
LAST 20 YEARS.
WEVE USED THE #FORGOTISTAN
BECAUSE THE FOLKS THAT SERVED IN
UNIFORM AND IN THE FOREIGN
POLICY COMMUNITY FEEL LIKE WEVE
BEEN AT WAR FOR TWO DECADES AND
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN
FOCUSED ON OTHER THINGS.
THERES A REAL SENSE OF THIS
QUICKLY GOING IN THE REARVIEW
MIRROR AND A SENSE OF LOSS, A
SENSE OF RECKONING, A SENSE OF
QUESTIONING OUR OWN SERVICE AND
OUR COUNTRYS COMMITMENT, BUT
ALSO QUESTIONING IF THE COUNTRY
IS GOING TO COMMIT TO WHAT
HAPPENS NEXT.
THE MILITARY OPERATIONS MIGHT BE
OVER, BUT CONFLICT IS NOT,
ESPECIALLY FOR THE AFGHAN
PEOPLE, FOR WOMEN ON THE GROUND,
FOR INTERPRETERS.
MAYBE THIS INTERPRETER SITUATION
JUST KIND OF CLARIFIES IT,
BECAUSE FAILING TO PLAN IS
PLANNING TO FAIL.
WERE TALKING TO AFGHAN FRIENDS
ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW WHO
HEARD THIS SPEECH AND DONT KNOW
WHERE TO GO, AND THEYRE HEARING
FROM JEN PSAKI AND OTHERS MAYBE
WERE GOING TO SEND THEM TO
KAZAKHSTAN OR SOME OTHER PLACE
THAT VIOLATES HUMAN RIGHTS.
THEY SHOULD BE IN GUAM ON
SOMEPLACE LIKE IT WHERE WE CAN
CONTROL.
THERES BIPARTISAN SUPPORT TO
HELP GET THEM TO GUAM AND IT
WILL HELP US DEAL WITH THE MORAL
INJURY MANY OF US ARE GOING TO
FEEL, BUT ALL OF THE OTHER AFTER
EFFECTS THAT ARE GOING TO AFFECT
THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED
OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES.
THERES A CONCERN WERE
FORGETTING WHAT HAPPENED OVER
THERE AND IT IS STARTING WITH
OUR FRIENDS AND MAYBE THOSE OF
US WHO SERVED IN UNIFORM WILL BE
NEXT.
>> I AGREE WITH PAULS POINTS
AND HE MAKES THEM STRONGLY AND I
AGREE, EXCEPT I DONT SEE HOW
2,500 TROOPS TO GROUND RESOLVES
THE MORAL ISSUES, RESOLVES
PROTECTION OF INTERPRETERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THOSE ARE ALL THINGS WE HAVE TO
DEAL WITH, BUT THE QUESTION
PRESENTED TO THE PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES, THE COMMANDER
IN CHIEF, IS DO WE KEEP 2,500
TROOPS IN THE COUNTRY, WHICH WE
HAVE HAD TROOPS THERE FOR 20
YEARS, OR DO WE CHANGE OUR
STRATEGY TO PROTECT OUR
HOMELAND.
I THINK PRESIDENT BIDEN MADE A
GUTSY CALL.
HE LEVELED WITH THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND SAID, WE CAN PROTECT
OUR HOMELAND AND WE CAN ATTACK
AL QAEDA WITH AN
OVER-THE-HORIZON FORCE.
I THINK THATS ABSOLUTELY
CRITICAL, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT
THE RECENT INTELLIGENCE
ASSESSMENTS FROM OUR
INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, THERE
WAS ONE SENTENCE IN THE
WORLDWIDE THREAT HEARING DEVOTED
TO AL QAEDA IN AFGHANISTAN.
THERE ARE OTHER THREATS WE HAVE
TO DEAL WITH, AND IT WOULD BE A
DERELICTION OF DUTY, IT WOULD
VIOLATE EVERYTHING WE STAND FOR
AND CARE ABOUT IF WE WERENT
POSITIONED AND POSTURED TO DEAL
WITH THE OTHER THREATS.
I KNOW PAUL AND THE ENTIRE
COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO SERVED
IN THE POST 9/11 WARS
FUNDAMENTALLY AGREES WITH THAT,
WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR HOMELAND
AT THE END OF THE DAY.
>> WELL, IF I CAN RESPOND.
GO AHEAD.
>> GO AHEAD.
NO, GO AHEAD, PAUL.
>> NO, WHAT WE KNOW IS THIS IS
NOT SIMPLE.
IT IS NOT ONE QUESTION.
IT IS NOT THE ONLY THING THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF HAS TO SOLVE,
IS WHETHER OR NOT TO PUT TROOPS
ON THE GROUND.
THIS IS A REALLY COMPLEX,
COMPLICATED, RAPIDLY EVOLVING
SITUATION, AND THE WORST THING A
PRESIDENT CAN DO IS SAY IT IS
SIMPLE AND IT IS GOING TO BE
OVER AND THIS IS THE CHAPTER
ENDING.
THERE ARE SO MANY PIECES TO THIS
AND IT IS UP TO HIM TO FRAME
THAT STRATEGICALLY FOR THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE, IT IS UP TO HIM
TO ASK THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR
HELP, AND HE MAY BE LEVELING
WITH US ABOUT THE CHOICES BUT I
DONT THINK HE LEVELED WITH US
ABOUT HOW BAD IT CAN BE OVER
THERE TO COME.
IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN OUR
OBJECTIVE TO KEEP PEACE OVER
THERE FOREVER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE
TO DEAL WITH THE FACT WE COULD
HAVE A REAL HUMANITARIAN
DISASTER ON OUR HANDS WE WERE A
PART OF.
WE CANT WASH OUR HANDS AND SAY,
HEY, IT IS THE AFGHAN ARMYS
PROBLEM NOW.
WE HAVE A MORAL RESPONSIBILITY
ON THAT ISSUE AND TO DEAL WITH
ISSUES LIKE PAKISTAN AND PLENTY
OF OTHER THINGS THAT HE DIDNT
TOUCH ON IN HIS SPEECH.
IT IS NOT SIMPLE, AND THE WORST
THING A PRESIDENT CAN DO IS MAKE
IT SOUND SIMPLE.
>> IT IS NOT SIMPLE AT ALL.
FOR OUR DIPLOMATS AND OUR
INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONALS WHO
ARE GOING TO BE HAVING TO DEAL
WITH THE NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH
AFGHANISTAN, THEYRE GOING TO
HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH ALL OF
THOSE THINGS.
I COULDNT AGREE MORE.
THEY WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE
REGIONAL ISSUES, THEY WILL HAVE
TO DEAL WITH RUNNING
INTELLIGENCE NETWORK, THEYRE
GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE
HUMANITARIAN ISSUE, THE REFUGEE
PROBLEM.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF VERY
COMPLEX ISSUES THAT ARE COMING
OUT OF AFGHANISTAN OVER THE
COMING MONTHS AND YEARS THAT ARE
GOING TO FACE THIS
ADMINISTRATION AND THE NEXT
ADMINISTRATION, NO DOUBT ABOUT
THAT.
I THINK THE QUESTION THOUGH
AGAIN, BACK TO THE CHOICE THAT
BIDEN WAS DEALT WITH, WHICH WAS
DO I KEEP TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN