Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen tells CNN's Don Lemon that he has "mixed emotions" about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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Former defense secretary: Afghanistan veterans won’t forget
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Three things you should not forget: who helped you in the ordeal….. and who abandoned you in that ordeal…… and who put you in the ordeal…..
@gparker productions LMAO… They didn’t take over large portions of Afghanistan in 2020! Show me proof of it…
?? Seriously, get a grip folks… STOP with the blame game and just say THANK-YOU to America for it’s heroic fight against the terrorists and for making the world a safer place to live. If you want to blame someone, focus on the Afghan people that refuse to take responsibility for themselves and their future, by staying in THEIR own country and sacrificing THEIR lives, to fight for THEIR own freedom and liberty! America has done more than enough helping the Afghan people by investing over 20 TRILLION hard earned taxpayer dollars, sacrificing too many American lives, and investing 20 years training the Afghan police and military to defend themselves against the terrorists. America provided them with the latest technology, military equipment and ammunitions and yet these pathetic cowards choose to run away to the safety of another country, at the first chance they get, (where they can expect to live in comfort as refugees and get FREE food, clothes, shelter, medicine, education, etc., etc., for years and years, because they cannot find any work to support themselves!) The war against TERRORISM continues and America has simply chosen to change strategy, to refocus and regroup, as is what you do in the battle against evil, if you want to win. (These rediculous ‘journalists’ have no clue what they are talking about and the constant whining by the puppet media is an embarrassment… the American people deserve better!)
@Jumpin’ Jo Hosafatz ok let’s blame the Afghan people for not fighting for there selves but who abandoned are allies and the Americans stranded right now turn on cnn wake up this happened under sleepy Joe’s administration aug 2021 but your right let’s not play blame game trumps not president if he was he would be to blame. And impeachment would be necessary. Come on man . The buck stops here. I herd some one say? Who was that.I guess arming the Taliban was just refocusing. Good one not buying
@What! We talking about Americans & Trump policies was better
@gacj2010 JANUARY 18TH 2021 NEWS GALLUP POLL SAID THAT TRUMP’S APPROVAL RATING WAS 34% & HE AVERAGED 41% WHILE IN OFFICE!! TOO BAD TRUMP NEVER EVEN WENT HIGHER THAN 50% BUT JOE BIDEN STARTED OFF ABOVE 50%=POLITICO GAVE HIM 50% JOB APPROVAL RATING 3 DAYS AGO!! OOOPSY✌😂😅🤣
They should never have been sent. Or at least brought back after Bin Ladens death. There should be nothing to remember never mind forget.
@Northwest Gardener Trump had four years to bring them home. Trump was a do nothing president.
@Neil Jenkinson yes, a Saudi in Pakistan. (Let’s not mention Iraq)
@taz 9 . Yep, and Biden is a do everything President. As in doing everything bad.
@taz 9 Oh I know that much. I lived through the 60’s, 70’s, etc. I have a good understanding as to what this country is and is not.
@M Hall TOO BAD MANY OF REMEMBER THAT TRUMP WAS COMPLAINING ABOUT TROOPS BEING IN FOREVER WARS WHILE HE WAS CAMPAIGNING & EVEN BEFORE THAT BUT IN 4 YEARS HE DIDN’T DO A THING ABOUT IT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE & THAT’S WHY WE HAVE A HOT💩💩MESS NOW!!✌
The problem with you is not that you aim high but that you aim low and hit your mark.
Senior US military officers are most often just tools for defense contractors. Llyod Austin is a man with waiverable standards. The US military is a losing team led by losers, based on their measurable results. We don’t have a meritocracy. The worst people among us climbed the ladders of power. Just measure them!!!
👆👍 Truth. You are 100% correct sir, Eisenhauer tried to warn us.
https://youtu.be/zFJ2AN_CZH8
Well Said.
So.. . “Sunk Cost Fallacy” should be our foreign policy compass?
Incredible demonstration of the efficiency of retreat !
That’s a great spin on failure.
?? Seriously, get a grip folks… STOP with the blame game and just say THANK-YOU to America for it’s heroic fight against the terrorists and for making the world a safer place to live. If you want to blame someone, focus on the Afghan people that refuse to take responsibility for themselves and their future, by staying in THEIR own country and sacrificing THEIR lives, to fight for THEIR own freedom and liberty! America has done more than enough helping the Afghan people by investing over 20 TRILLION hard earned taxpayer dollars, sacrificing too many American lives, and investing 20 years training the Afghan police and military to defend themselves against the terrorists. America provided them with the latest technology, military equipment and ammunitions and yet these pathetic cowards choose to run away to the safety of another country, at the first chance they get, (where they can expect to live in comfort as refugees and get FREE food, clothes, shelter, medicine, education, etc., etc., for years and years, because they cannot find any work to support themselves!) The war against TERRORISM continues and America has simply chosen to change strategy, to refocus and regroup, as is what you do in the battle against evil, if you want to win. (These rediculous ‘journalists’ have no clue what they are talking about and the constant whining by the puppet media is an embarrassment… the American people deserve better!)
WHO GIVES A DAMN WHAT A CIVILIAN HAS TO SAY WHOSE TOO AFRAID TO JOIN THE MILITARY SO KEEP YOUR POM POM SHAKING AZZ ON THE BLEACHERS & WATCH THE REAL MEN PLAY THE GAME A’IGHT??🇺🇸💯💪
@O SNOOPY SNOOP1: Who’s*
2: You don’t know my service history
3: The military has civilian control for a reason lmao
@O SNOOPY SNOOP if you’re a veteran it’s 100% because of project 100k
Some of talebaan fighters were trained by cia to defeat soviet……
You hear this stuff then you hear veterans that were there that say the whole thing was full of corruption and we should have left years ago. I’m more inclined to believe the vets
President Obama with VP Biden and Sec of State Clinton had every opportunity to ‘get out’ from 2009 to 2017. They balked. Could not muster the cahones. So Trump sets a withdrawl date May 1 all nato and US forces out. And Biden once again delays. He says Sept 11 for a little theatrics and politics. We have not forgotten anything we know.
OK, agree, never again then
@John Quarter oh ffs
@Alyson onOahu And if Obama had tried to initiate peace, the right would have had a fit. Called them anti-military and Commies and that they weren’t supporting our troops which is always their go-to excuse. Yada yada yada.
Blame is reflected in the mirror. You sign up then you do what you are told. You knew that from day one.
The problem isn’t veterans forgetting lol the problem is America forgetting the veterans who will never forget.
Do not forget this war was predicated on a lie then extended through corruption and deception for 20 years- the outcome was never in doubt. We sent our troops on a fools errand and we should all bear the blame.(How this has been mishandled is another issue.)
When we end a war, do we always just leave all of our tech behind for anyone to pickup and use? Doesn’t the military have to do something about that? Don’t they have a plan?
Did we just enable the Taliban to fight a stronger fight against us and their enemies?
No plan…just panic.
@Avan Strash they could sabotage equipment or destroy it. We are taking about weapons.
@Toughnut That’d be a good idea. But judging on how the Taliban force is waving the US rifle in their hand right now…..I kinda doubt they went with that idea.
Yes, that was plan b. Trump completely de-nutted the AF government – he didn’t even include them in the surrender agreement – then he handed all of our military equipment except what was left at one air base over to the Afghan Army. History has shown that the government forces folded immediately – you can decide for yourself if morale caused that, if Trump should have completed ending a war or whatever. I’ll just state facts.
According to the agreement, the Taliban had one month (until the end of March 2020) to begin negotiations for a power sharing agreement or otherwise form a new government but they didn’t go to the table and establish a “framework for dialogue” until December 2020.
Trump continued to accelerate fulfilling our side even though the Taliban did not adhere to a single ‘condition’ aside from not shooting at us. In fact when he drew down troops from 4,000 to 2,500 in early January he broke the law.
“Congress enacted a defense policy bill – *overriding a veto* by President Donald Trump – that bars using funds appropriated for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 to pay for a drawdown below 4,000 U.S. troops until acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller submits to Congress a “comprehensive, interagency assessment of the risks and impacts.”
@Larry Jensen and here we are pointing blame to someone who’re not president anymore. Its a default rule that whoever take over leader position, they’ll be left with whatever the previous leader left. The burden is on old senile joe. Its part of the job risk of any leader position.
And senile joe has been warned to about Taliban high possible take over months before he made his decision. And assuming its trump doing. Old senile joe should be briefed this matter the moment he become president, hell he should know this matter when Trump doing it, being experienced politician old senile joe is.
Then why did he pulled the army and leave thousands of citizens behind. Why not issue a full recall of citizen first before pulling the army.
if this matter are soo important why didn’t old senile joe pulled all US citizen out of afghanistan the moment he become the President. The fact is the Taliban take over afghanistan happened right after that very 2500 US force leave. So had biden pulled all the US citizen out the moment he become president. He’ll have around 6 months (give or take) for evacuation process.
The main issue is not the weapon left behind, its the US citizen stuck behind the Taliban line. Once the US citizen leave. Then we can deal with whatever remaining time to take out the armament as much as time allowed.
This is not just about America though is it..many other allied countries have been thrown under the bus..the g7nations included…if Americans cannot get over themselves by owning this mess why should we trust it in the future…own it.
I will not forget all the blood of my friends that spilled in Afghanistan.
@Andra Book stop with that crap. This would never happened if we were never there. This is ALL of Americans fault, even yours.
@R G the Democrats have so much blood on their hands. instead of properly and orderly managing the exit, they botch it and blame everyone else or feign ignorance. Own up to it and grow up.
@R whos blood? I haven’t heard of any Americans dying there yet during the evacuations. You talking about the Afghan people?
@R G look up the video from Crux on the police chief that just posted and also video Surrenderer in Chief. free your mind.
@R G But comment below if anyone has ever smelled your socks and feet after wearing shoes all day in your life…like you smell the stench of your foot sweat…dont be shy and just admit that most of you have smelled your feet and in between your toes with the lint from the socks…💯💯💯
The president didn’t decide to keep the 8-31 date. The Taliban told him that he will keep that date and he’s complying. There’s a difference and we will see either success or devastating failure. Most likely a failure.
@Susan Teeter When you cant justify the ridiculous decisions that this idiot is making just fall back on hating the former president. Yanking us out this quickly will cost several more lives than necessary, our borders are almost wide open, crime rates are higher than ever, law enforcement is being de-funded, many cities are not safe to visit, and the main stream media continues to obsess over Trump. There is no way that his president can last 3 more years and that useless vice president will fall with him.
“I want there to be firefights with US troops.”
Just say it, you want more US soldiers to die there so we have an excuse to restart the war.
@Susan Teeter But comment below if anyone has ever smelled your socks and feet after wearing shoes all day in your life…like you smell the stench of your foot sweat…dont be shy and just admit that most of you have smelled your feet and in between your toes with the lint from the socks…💯💯💯
GOOD THING MOST AMERICANS COULD CARE LESS JUST AS LONG AS OUR SOLDIERS ARE BACK HOME, PERIOD!!🇺🇸💯💪✌😂😂😂
@Susan Teeter Poo poo and doo doo everyday is healthy for all of us…comment below if anyone has taken a dump today and what type of content you be looking at on your phone while you dropping the bombs in the toilet bowl thrown…also name what type of TP you all use to clean them cheeks yo…🤔💩💯😂
Reminds me of a saying I heard as a boy: you can’t dig your way out of a hole. Sometimes you just have to admit it’s time to put down the shovel and try something else. The military shovel got us into this, it won’t get us out. What we shouldn’t forget isn’t the current inevitable chaos of a withdrawal from a failed state, but that we shouldn’t go into a failed state in the first place without an exit strategy. You’d think after 20 years here and God only knows how many other places we’ve made the same mistake we’d learn. The best way to honor the blood shed in the past is to stop the ridiculous political incitement causing it in the future.
You’re assuming that NO ONE could have done it better than Biden. As a matter of fact, pretty much ANYONE could have done it better. He muffed as easy pass, and there’s no getting around it. If you voted for him, you voted for a stumbling corpse to lead your country. Congrats, bright boy.
@Samuel Ross who could have done it better? The Orange Messiah that made the deal and set the timeline ticking for this? Besides, do you even know who it is that they are trying to get out? Tourists soaking up the rays of sunny Afghanistan? American exchange students attending their fine higher education institutions? No, thee people there fall into three main groups.
– US government employees – these are embassy and State Department staff to carry out the ongoing political support after the troops were pulled out. They were meant to stay just like they do in any other country we have a diplomatic presence in.
– US contractors- these are the civilians that signed up with private companies to provide the maintenance needed to the equipment that had been given to the Afghani government to carry on the fight themselves. You can’t help someone fix their helicopter to fight after our troops pull out if you leave before the troops pull out, so again not supposed to have gone anywhere
-NGO personnel – these are the do-gooders. The folks that when they hear a loud bang and see people running away grab a first aid kit and go look to see what they can help with. State Department has been saying to get out for months but it is t in their nature to go. I GUARANTEE when the dust has settled and last flights have flown there will be some story about one of these people giving up their seat out to a stranger. Its generally not the policy of the US to hogtie and kidnap its citizens off the streets of foreign countries, that’s probably a good thing even if it might have saved some of those who have ignored advice to leave.
Afghan allies who helped us – these are the real tragedies and yes, an absolute betrayal occurred. While many of them had intended to stay because they love their country the Afghan government asked us not to push for a general evacuation before troops left because it would send a bad message to the people of Afghanistan making it harder to keep up morale for the fight. There is the further issue that Stephan Miller was sabotaging the already insanely convoluted special visa process making sure we weren’t ‘invaded’ by our allies, according to other Trump administration officials.
So no, I don’t see how anyone could have dis much better without the foreknowledge that the Afghan President was going to cut and run while much of the Afghan army would surrender without a firing a shot. This is just what happens when a county falls. The real question isn’t why did things go so badly in the last month but why did we waste 20 of American blood and treasure there in the first place. While I’m certainly no fan of Trump and I’m sure there were better ways to pull out than legitimising the Taliban on the world stage and releasing their troops by the hundreds the decision to withdraw is probably one of the few things I have to give him credit for as being the right thing to do. But no, there is never a good time for a state to fail. It’s always messy and violent. It wouldn’t have been better under any one else except Jesus Christ Himself. Anyone else is just criticising without skin in the game.
@Joseph Owens Also who all here ever in your lives at least one time low key has smelled your shoes and socks after being out all day to see what them feet really smell like…dont lie and just place a comment down below with a yes or no…like you smell your own foot stench and clean that lint in between your toes from them socks…you all reading this comment know you’ve smelled your feet before…real facts…💯💯💯
@Joseph Owens Poo poo and doo doo everyday is healthy for all of us…comment below if anyone has taken a dump today and what type of content you be looking at on your phone while you dropping the bombs in the toilet bowl thrown…also name what type of TP you all use to clean them cheeks yo…🤔💩💯😂
Why do we keep asking X secretaries about problems they helped create. This cycle never ends
@Surf_KaaboMantis10 lol. You can’t be that naive!
@What!, Naive to what doofus? Turkey is a NATO country. I’ll dummy it down for you. Turkey is a NATO country. Therefore, Turkey is our Ally. China and Iran are not our Allies. China and the Wuhan virus are the greatest threat to America 🇺🇸
@Surf_KaaboMantis10 China being our greatest threat is not exclusive with Turkey being our adversary. They might be our de jure ally, but that only became true because of the mutual threat from the former Soviet Union. Turkey spends its time violating the airspace of other NATO countries and invading our Kurdish allies, not to mention assaulting American protestors on American soil while. These are things which there is bipartisan condemnation of.
@Surf_KaaboMantis10 Turkey WAS our ally until an Islamist came into power, decided to remain in control by jailing, and disappearing the opposition, started murdering civilians to shut them up, etc. Now that I think of it, considering all the former tyrants the US has allied with, from the sha of Iran to Pinochet to Videla, i guess maybe they are a partner in crime… for now.
@What! But comment below if anyone has ever smelled your socks and feet after wearing shoes all day in your life…like you smell the stench of your foot sweat…dont be shy and just admit that most of you have smelled your feet and in between your toes with the lint from the socks…💯💯💯
“Secretary Cohen’s international expertise was recognized by his selection to the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relation”
This all you need to know. Anyone associated with this group has a hand on the blade stabbing you in the back.
look at kirby play with his hands like a child whos getting in trouble lol
“The United States has no obligation to evacuate one…or 100,001 South Vietnamese,” …Biden in 1975
Biden’s the cut and run king of US foreign policy.
He’s been heartless for a long time except now the Chinese own him and hunter i wonder what they got on them
The Taliban has many factions. Some of them are on the CIA payroll