RADFORD AND IM ALLISON
BARBER. AARON IS OFF TODAY. WE
BEGIN THIS HOUR WITH BREAKING
NEWS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN AS THE
UNITED STATES REACHES A KEY
MILESTONE.
>> A DRAMATIC TURNING POINT
TODAY IS GENERAL SCOTT MILLER,
THE COMMANDER OF US FORCES.
THERE OFFICIALLY STEPPED DOWN
EARLIER TODAY. HE TURNS
COMMAND OVER TO US CENTRAL
COMMAND. THE HISTORIC MOVE
MARKS A SYMBOLIC INTO NEARLY
20 YEARS OF MILITARY
OPERATIONS IN THAT COUNTRY.
THIS AS THE TALIBAN THREAT
LOOMS EVEN LARGER NBC NEWS
PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT
COURTNEY QBS FOLLOWING TODAYS
EVENTS FOR US IN KABUL,
AFGHANISTAN. AND WE ALSO HAVE
RETIRED ARMY COLONEL AND NBC
NEWS MILITARY ANALYST.
>> JACK JACOBS WHO IS JOINING
US. LETS GO AHEAD, THOUGH.
AND BEGIN WITH COURTNEY THERE
IN KABUL. COURTNEY. THE UNITED
STATES HAS BEEN WITHDRAWING
FROM AFGHANISTAN. NOW FOR 4
TALK ABOUT WHY TODAYS EVENTS
ARE SO SIGNIFICANT. WHAT IS
DIFFERENT TODAY.
>> SO TODAY WAS REALLY THE
SYMBOLIC END OF THE U.S.
MILITARY MISSION HERE IN
AFGHANISTAN. AS YOU MENTION,
GENERAL SCOTT MILLER, HE
HANDED OVER HIS AUTHORITIES TO
GENERAL FRANK MCKENZIE. BUT
THAT WAS ALSO REALLY SYMBOLIC,
TOO, BECAUSE GENERAL MCKENZIE
IS ALREADY THE COMMANDER OF US
CENTRAL COMMAND. SO HES GOT
COMMAND OF ALL THE U.S.
MILITARY IN THIS ENTIRE REGION
HE REALLY HAD ALL THE
AUTHORITIES THAT THAT GENERAL
MILLER HANDED OVER. BUT WITH
HANDING OVER AND STEPPING DOWN
AS THE COMMANDING GENERAL OF
US FORCES. AFGHANISTAN THAT
REALLY MARKS THE END OF WHAT
IS NOW NEARLY A 2 DECADE LONG
WAR AND CONFLICT HERE IN
AFGHANISTAN. NOW, YOU KNOW, AS
YOU WELL, MORGAN.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN ANNOUNCED
IN APRIL THAT THE U.S. IS
GOING TO COMPLETELY WITHDRAW
ALL TROOPS START PULLOUT
WITHDRAW ALL TROOPS FROM
AFGHANISTAN BY SEPTEMBER 11.
WE HEARD SOON AFTER THAT THAT
IN FACT THE U.S. MILITARY WAS
MOVING MUCH FASTER THAN THAT.
IT WAS MAINLY A SECURITY
REASON THEY REALIZE THAT ONCE
THEY ANNOUNCE THAT THE U.S.
WAS GOING TO LEAVE HERE AND
THERE WERE ONLY SOMEWHERE
BETWEEN 253500 TOLD THE TROOPS
HERE AT THE TIME THAT THOSE
TROOPS ARE REALLY IN DANGER.
GENERAL MILLER AS THE HEAD OF
THE WAR HERE.
>> HE STARTED MOVING PEOPLE
AND EQUIPMENT OUT QUICKLY.
THEY ALL COULD HAVE BEEN OUT
BY EARLY JULY. BUT NOW THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION REALIZED
AS THEY SEE THIS TALIBAN.
OFFENSIVE ALL THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTRY. THEY REALIZED THEY
NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE
BIT. THEY NEEDED TO MAINTAIN A
MILITARY MISSION HERE. BUT THE
REALITY IS THE U.S. MILITARY
AND THE EQUIPMENT ITS ALL
OUT. WHATS MAINTAINING HERE
UNTIL THE END OF AUGUST IS
REALLY THE CONTRACTORS HAVE
BEEN SUPPORTING THE U.S.
MILITARY HERE AND GENERAL
MCKENZIE AS THE NEW COMMANDER
OF US FORCES. AFGHANISTAN ALSO
ROUTINES SOME AUTHORITIES TO
CONDUCT AIRSTRIKES AGAINST THE
TALIBAN. SHOULD THE AFGHAN
MILITARY NEED THE U.S. TO
HELP.
>> AND COURTNEY JUST VERY
BRIEFLY HERE. I KNOW THAT HE
SPOKE EXCLUSIVELY WITH GENERAL
MCKENZIE FROM THE PLANE. CAN
YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE
DETAIL ON WHAT HE TOLD YOU.
>> YEAH. I MEAN, SO HES HES
LIKE MANY MILITARY OFFICIALS
ARE. THEYRE CONCERNED ABOUT
THIS TALIBAN OFFENSIVE ALL
AROUND THE COUNTRY SAID THAT
ITS THAT THE MOMENTUM IS
REALLY TRENDING TOWARDS THE
TALIBAN RIGHT NOW. BUT HE ALSO
SAID THAT THE AFGHAN MILITARY
IS MAKING SOME SMART MOVES.
THEY SO FAR THE TALIBAN. WELL,
THEYVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE A
LOT OF RURAL AREAS, IF NOT YET
TAKEN PROVINCIAL CAPITALS. AND
THATS WHAT GIVES GENERAL
MCKENZIE SOME OPTIMISM. SOME
HOPE THAT THE AFGHAN MILITARY
MAY BE ABLE TO PUSH BACK THIS
OFFENSIVE. HE ALSO SPOKE
PRETTY HIGHLY OF THE AFGHAN
AIR FORCE. THEY STARTED FROM
NOTHING MORE THAN A DECADE
AGO. MORGAN AND NOW THEY ARE
CARRYING OUT SOME AIR STRIKES.
THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO
OPERATE ON THEIR OWN. THE U.S.
IS ACTUALLY PROVIDING THEM
WITH A NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL
HELICOPTERS AND FIXED WING
AIRCRAFT BEFORE THIS MILITARY
MISSION, EVEN NC OF THE U.S.
MILITARY MISSION ENDS HERE AND
THAT IS BECAUSE THEY REALIZE
THAT THAT IS THE ONE ASSET
THAT THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT HAS
THAT THE TALIBAN DOESNT AN
AIR FORCE AND THEYRE TRYING
TO TO BUILD THAT UP AND
STRENGTHEN THAT AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE. ONE VULNERABILITY,
THE AFGHAN AIR FORCE REALLY
FACES, THOUGH, IS MAINTENANCE
AND THOSE CONTRACTORS, I
MENTIONED EARLIER, WHO ARE NOW
STAYING UNTIL THE END OF
AUGUST WHEN THEY LEAVE THE
AFGHAN AIR FORCE IS IS GOING
TO STRUGGLE TO BE ABLE TO
MAINTAIN THEIR THEIR AIR,
THEIR AIRCRAFT, ESPECIALLY
WITH AN INCREASE IN
OPERATIONAL TEMPO WITH THE
U.S. MILITARY AND THE NATO
FORCES LEAVING AT A CRITICAL
TIME THAT COUNTRY BEGINS ITS
TRANSITION. COURTNEY QB THERE
IN KABUL FOR US. COURTNEY,