FOR MILITARY FAMILIES, WHAT THIS
MEANS AS AMERICAS LONGEST WAR
DOES COME TO A CLOSE, CHRIS.
>> CONGRESSMAN, LET ME ASK YOU A
PERSONAL QUESTION.
YOU SERVED TWO TOURS IN
AFGHANISTAN.
NOW THE TALIBAN IS CLEARLY RUSH
TO GO FILL THE VACUUM.
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF
COMPARESENS TO VIETNAM VETERANS
WHO CAME BACK AND FELT LIKE
THEIR SACRIFICES HAD BEEN FOR
NAUGHT.
HOW DO YOU FEEL, AS YOU SEE THIS
ALL UNFOLDING?
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME, CHRIS.
MY PERSONAL FEELINGS ARE
COMPLICATED, NO DOUBT ABOUT
THAT.
I THINK WHAT IS IMPORTANT, AND
IVE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF MY
FELLOW VETERANS, WE DRAW A
DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE
HONORABLE SERVICE FOR OUR MEN
AND WOMEN WHO STEPPED UP TO
ANSWER THE CALL AFTER 9/11, AND
MADE EXTRAORDINARY SACRIFICES,
AND THE POLITICS OF THIS WAR.
WELL ARGUE ABOUT WHAT WE COULD
HAVE DONE BETTER.
THERE WILL BE BOOKS AND
CONFERENCE BEING IT FOR DECADES
TO COME, BUT WE HAVE TO HONOR
THE SACRIFICES OF OUR TROOPS.
I AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT.
IT WAS A PROMISE HE MADE, A
PROMISE I AGREED WITH, AND A
PROMISE HES KEEPING.
THERES NO WAY TO MILITARILY WIN
THIS WAR.
THERE JUST ISNT.
WEVE HAD OVER 100,000 TROOPS ON
THE GROUND THERE, PENALTY
TRILLIONS.
THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS HAVE BEEN
GIVEN THEIR LIVES, AND IF THERE
WAS A MILITARY SOLUTION, WE
WOULD HAVE FOUND IT A LONG TIME
AGO.
>> YES, THE TALIBAN IRMAKING
ADVANCES, BUT THAT DOESNT MEAN
THE FALL OF KABUL IS INEVITABLE.
THERES A LOT OF RISK, BUT THE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF HAS TO ASSESS
ALL THE RISKS FROM RUSSIA, FROM
CHINA, FROM IRAN, LOTS OF
DIFFERENT TERRORIST
ORGANIZATIONS.
WE DONT HAVE LIMITED RESOURCE.
WE HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO
FOCUS ON --
>> THE TALIBAN HAS BEEN SHOWING
OFF THE WEAPONS WE LEFT BEHIND
BY SOME ACCOUNTS 900 GUNS, 30
TACTICAL VEHICLES, 20 ARMY
PICKUP TRUCKS.
THE QUESTION THEY ASK IS, HOW IS
IT EVEN POSSIBLE WE JUST LEFT IT
ALL FOR THEM?
>> WELL, WE HAVENT LEFT IT ALL
FOR THEM, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
WEVE MASSIVE LOGISTICAL
FOOTPRINT THERE.
THERE WAS A LOT OF EQUIPMENT.
WITHDRAWALS ARE EXTREMELY
COMPLICATED.
I THINK WE HAVE DONE A NICE JOB
OF DOING THIS IN A QUICK WAY.
REMEMBER, PRIORITY NUMBER ONE
HAS TO BE PROTECTING OUR TROOPS.
WITHDRAWAL OPERATION ARE
EXTREMELY RISKY.
THEYRE THE RISKIEST THING YOU
DO IN THE MILITARY.
NO ONE WANTS TO BE THE LAST
PERSON OUT.
ITS AN EXTREMELY VULNERABLE
POSITION.
ITS SECURITY WITH SPEED, DOING
THINGS AT NIGHT, SO WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE WERE PROTECTING OUR
MEN AND WOMEN, BUT NONE OF THESE
THINGS ARE PERFECT.
WHAT REALIZED AFTER THREE
DEPLOYMENTS, THAT SOME OF THESE
THINGS ARE NOT PERFECT.
THERES A MESSINESS.
CERTAINLY IT DOESNT MEAN ITS
ACCEPTABLE FOR LEAVING EQUIPMENT
BEHIND, BUT WERE DOING IT THE
BEST WE CAN.
>> IN OUR LAST MINUTE, LET ME
ASK YOU WHAT YOU WILL BE
WATCHING FOR TO MAKE YOU FEEL
AND YOU CAN ASSURE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE LEFT IN A
DIFFICULT SITUATION IN THE BEST
WAY POSSIBLE?
>> WELL, NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE TO
MAKE SURE WERE SEND AGO CLEAR
MESSAGE THAT SECURITY ASSISTANCE
AND FURNISHEDING TO THE AFGHAN
GOVERNMENT WILL REMAIN, WERE
GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE
SECURITY FORCES.
NUMBER TWO, SECURITY OF THE
KABUL AIRPORT AND THE
CONTRACTORS THAT KEEP THEM
FLYING, BECAUSE THE KEY IS THE
AFGHAN -- IF THEYRE GOING TO
KEEP THE CITY CENTER AND KABUL
SECURE, THEYLL HAVE TO HAVE AN
AIR FORCE THAT THE TALIBAN
CANNOT ADVANCE ALONG THE MAJOR
ROAD SYSTEM.
THE THIRD, THE MOST IMPORTANT
FOR ME, IS MAKING SURE WE ARE
HONORING OR PROMISES TO THOSE
AFGHAN ALLIES, THE PARTNERS,
INTERPRETERS WHO FOUGHT
ALONGSIDE US, AND HONORING OUR
PROMISES, WE HAVE PASSED
LEGISLATION AND WILL PASS MORE
LEGISLATION IN THE COMING WEEKS
TO SPEED THAT PROCESS UP.
IF THERE IS HONOR TO BE HAD HERE
IN THE MONTHS AHEAD, ITS BY
DOING RIGHT WITH OUR PARTNERS
AND SENDING A MESSAGE THAT WE