>> ALL RIGHT NOW AT OUR WORLD
WATER, WE'RE LOOKING AT NEWS
FROM AROUND THE WORLD, THE U.S.
RAPID TROOP WITHDRAWAL FROM
AFGHANISTAN IS CREATING A POWER
VACUUM IN THE WAR TORN COUNTRY,
TALIBAN FORCES HAVE CONTINUED
TO SEIZE MAJOR CITIES
OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS AND NOW
CONTROL HALF OF THE PROVINCIAL
CAPITALS AS AMERICANS AND NATO
FORCES MAKE THEIR EXIT AFTER 20
YEARS OF WAR THERE US
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS ARE
SAYING THE TALIBAN COULD TAKE
OVER AFGHANISTAN'S CAPITAL IN
AS LITTLE AS 90 DAYS BUT SENATE
MINORITY LEADER MITCH
DONALD SAYING IN A STATEMENT
QUOTE IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO
PREVENT THAT HOW THEN FROM
OVERRUNNING KABUL, JOINING US
NOW TO DISCUSS IS SECOND
LIEUTENANT ELLIOT ACKERMAN
ELLIOT ACKERMAN THE ACA A
FORMER MARINE AND INTELLIGENCE
OFFICER WHO SERVED 5 TOURS OF
DUTY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
TODAY AFTER A MAN THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR BEING HERE I WANT TO
START WITH THOSE MOST RECENT
COMMENTS WE
JUST HEARD FROM MITCH MCCONNELL
DO YOU AGREE WITH THIS IDEA OF
PROVIDING AIR STRIKES AND
SUPPORT THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT.
>> I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE ON
THE SITUATION ON THE GRASS I
THINK WHAT WE KNOW WE WE MIGHT
BE PAST THE POINT WHERE THAT'S
REALLY GOING TO HAVE ANY TYPE
OF MEASURABLE EFFECT ON THE
OUTCOME AND I
PROBABLY THE REAL QUESTION
RIGHT NOW IS WHAT TYPE OF
NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT CAN THE
AFGHAN GOVERNMENT GET TO WITH
THE TALIBAN.
>> YOU KNOW WE'RE JUST
ALSO SEEING NEW YORK TIMES HAS
REPORTED THAT AMERICAN
NEGOTIATORS ARE PLEADING WITH
THE TALIBAN TO SPARE THE
EMBASSY IN KABUL.
HOW DIRE IS THE SITUATION
WILL BE THERE YOU KNOW FOR
AMERICANS IN THE COUNTRY AND
HOW LIKELY IS IT THAT THE
TALIBAN AGREED TO THIS.
>> WELL TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF
THINGS CURRENTLY THE U.S.
EMBASSY IN AFGHANISTAN HAS
MOVED FROM THE EMBASSY COMPOUND
TO
THE AIRPORT. IN KABUL, SO I
DON'T THINK THE SITUATION COULD
BE ANY MORE DIRE AND RIGHT NOW
WE'RE SEEING IS THE
UNITED STATES. TRYING TO
NEGOTIATE A MORE ORDERLY
FROM THE COUNTRY GIVEN THE
RAPID ADVANCES WE'VE SEEN THE
LAST WEEK.
>> WE ALSO THE SEE THAT THE
UNITED NATIONS THAT NATION HAS
JOINED IN THIS PLEA TO
ESSENTIALLY URGING OTHERS TO
NEGOTIATE AND AVOID A
CIVIL WAR. THE UNITED NATIONS
SECRETARY GENERAL HAD SOME
COMMENTS ON THE SITUATION
EARLIER AND WE HAVE A SOUND
BITE OF THOSE COMMENTS. IF YOU
CAN PAUSE FOR A MOMENT TAKE A
LISTEN. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR
YOU TO DECIDE.
>> EVEN A COUNTRY THAT
SYSTEMATICALLY KNOWN
GENERATIONS OF CONFLICT.
>> IT'S AFGHANISTAN IS IN THE
SNOWS OF YET ANOTHER CHAOTIC
AND DESPERATE CHIPPED S.
AN INCREDIBLE TEST OF THE FOR
ITS LONG SUFFERING PEOPLE.
AFGHANISTAN IS SPINNING OUT OF
CONTROL.
>> SO ESSENTIALLY DO YOU SEE
THE TALIBAN BEING WILLING TO
NEGOTIATE WITH THE U N.
>> WELL I THINK IN ANY
NEGOTIATION BOTH PARTIES HAVE
TO
HAVE SOME AND TO OFFER SO THE
QUESTION IS WHY IS THE EU AND
GOING TO OFFER THE TALIBAN, I
THINK ONE
OF THE THAT THE UNITED NATIONS
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY CAN
OFFER THE TALIBAN IS THE
CONTINUANCE OF A THAT HAS
FLOWED INTO
AFGHANISTAN OVER YOU KNOW OVER
THE PAST MANY DECADES, SO I
THINK THAT IS A CARROT THE ASH
HE SHOULD
HOLD OUT TO THE TALIBAN WHETHER
OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO BE
WILLING TO SPONSOR THAT KERRY
IS YET TO
BE SEEN PARTICULARLY AS IF THEY
HOLD SIGNIFICANT MILITARY
ADVANTAGE RIGHT NOW.
>> YOU DESPITE THESE RECENT
ADVANCES WE HAVE SEEN THE
PRESIDENT REALLY HOLD FIRM TO
THE WITHDRAWAL RIGHT ON THE
AFGHANISTAN GOVERNMENT TO STEP
UP AND TAKE ACTION HERE.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE PRESIDENT
STANDS AT THIS MOMENT.
>> NO I DON'T I'VE NEVER AGREED
WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN'S POLICY I
THINK IT IS A NEAR
SIGHTED POLICY. AND BEFORE HE
ANNOUNCED HIS WITHDRAWAL WE HAD
ABOUT 3,000 U.S. TROOPS
STATIONED IN AFGHANISTAN,
THAT'S DOWN FROM A PEAK OF A
150,000 U.S. TROOPS AT THE
HEIGHT OF THE WE HAD A WELL
TRAIN AND WILL
SUPPORT AFGHAN MILITARY THAT
WAS IN FACT ENGAGE WITH THE
CIVIL WAR AGAINST
THE TALIBAN AND I THINK YOU
CANNOT UNDERESTIMATE ENOUGH HOW
PROFOUND IT IS
AND HOW PROFOUND A VOTE OF NO
CONFIDENCE IS FOR THE UNITED
STATES. WE SAY WE'RE JUST GOING
TO WALK OUT THE DOOR TO
AFGHANISTAN, SO AS MUCH AS
YOU'RE SEEING. YES, RAPID
TALIBAN ADVANCES, YOU'RE
ALSO SEEING. AFGHAN GOVERNMENT
THAT IS CUTTING DEALS LEFT AND
RIGHT WITH THE TALIBAN, SO
YOU'RE NOT YOU'RE NOT SEEING AN
AFGHAN
MILITARY FIGHT BECAUSE THERE'S
NO POLITICAL WILL TO FIND THAT
POLITICAL EVAPORATE THE SECOND
THE UNITED STATES SAID WE'RE
GOING TO WASH YOUR HANDS OF
THIS COUNTRY I THINK
A HUGE MISTAKE AND FRANKLY
MAKES IT MUCH MORE LIKELY THAT
WE'RE GOING TO SEE A
SIGNIFICANT WREAK AMENDMENT OF
US TROOPS
TO AFGHANISTAN. IF ANYTHING
COMES OUT OF THAT CASH IN THE
FUTURE TO STRIKE BACK AT US SO
NO I DO NOT AGREE WITH
PRESIDENT BIDEN'S POLICY I
THINK IS VERY
NEAR SIDE.
>> YET ON TO TELL YOU AND SHOW
YOU THE OBVIOUS TONY KNOW WE
WERE IN AFGHANISTAN FOR 2
DECADES
20 YEARS. DOES THIS A GATE ALL
THE WORK THAT WAS DONE AND WHAT
DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE TALIBAN'S
ABILITY TO SO QUICKLY ADVANCE
IN THE COUNTRY AND IT HAS WE'RE
JUST IN THE PROCESS
OF WITHDRAWING NOT EVEN FULLY
OUT OF THAT COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
>> THERE'S A SAYING WHEN I
SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN AND THE
TALIBAN USED TO SAY TO THE
AMERICANS YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE
THE WATCHES BUT WE HAVE THE
TIME. I MEAN WE MIGHT HAVE ALL
THE TECHNOLOGY BUT THEY HAVE
THE TIME TO WAIT US OUT AND I
WOULD SAY THE GREAT FAILURE OF
OUR ENDEAVOR IN
AFGHANISTAN WAS WE NEVER FROM
REALLY FROM THE OUTSET MADE A
CONVINCING ARGUMENT TO THE
TALIBAN AND THE AFGHAN PEOPLE
NO WE HAVE THE TIME
WE ARE FULLY COMMITTED AND
WE'RE NOT LEAVING THE PROBLEMS
WE ALWAYS HAD ONE FOOT OUTSIDE
THE DOOR
AFGHANISTAN BACK IN 2009 WHEN
PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCED A
SURGE TO AFGHANISTAN AT WEST
POINT AND I'M VERY SAME SPEECH
ANNOUNCED THE DATE OF OUR EXIT
IN 2014 I WAS IN AFGHANISTAN AT
THE TIME AND I
ASSURE YOU IN THE AFGHANS HEARD
THAT SO IF YOU'RE GOING
PROBLEMS TO PROBLEMS TRYING TO
GET IT HAPPENS TO SUPPORT THEIR
GOVERNMENT. THEY'RE LOOKING AND
SAY WHY SHOULD I DO THAT
THERE'S A TALIBAN SHADOW I
PROMISE YOU ALREADY ANNOUNCED
YOU'RE GOING TO BE GONE IN 5
YEARS AND THAT SHOW GOVERNOR IS
GOING TO
KILL ME. SO THERE WERE THERE
WERE STRATEGIC FLAWS IN THIS
FROM
THE OUTSET AND IRONICALLY I
THINK THAT IT MORE THAN
ANYTHING ELSE HAS MADE THIS WAR
DRAGGED ON AND ON.
>> I LOVE THE WAY YOU JUST WERE
ABLE TO KIND OF GIVE US THAT
INSIGHT TO TRULY UNDERSTAND
THAT ON THE GROUND PERSPECTIVE
IN TERMS OF THE
AFGHAN CITIZENS, YOU KNOW BEING
ON THE FENCE HERE TO YOUR POINT
THAT WE WANTED ONE FOOT IN ONE
FOOT OUT IN THAT HOW THE
NEW YEAR'S AGO THAT WE WERE
JUST WAITING BIDING OUR TIME TO
TO TO GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT COMES
NEXT YEAR.
>> WELL I THINK SADLY A VERY
DARK CHAPTER FOR THE PEOPLE OUT
CAN A STAND IS WHAT'S GOING TO
COME I
THINK IT ANYWAY YOU LOOK AT THE
TALIBAN WILL BE IN CONTROL IN
AFGHANISTAN AT LEAST AT LEAST
IN THE NEAR TERM. I THINK THE
UNITED STATE UNITED STATES OF
PEOPLE UNITED STATES. OUR
GOVERNMENT IS MAKING AN
ENORMOUS GAMBLE. THAT CAMPBELL
IS THAT IF WE ALLOW AFGHANISTAN
TO ONCE AGAIN IMPLODE AND TURN
INTO THE TYPE OF BLACK COLE IT
WAS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11TH THAT
NOTHING IS GOING TO CRAWL OUT
OF
THAT BLACK HALL AND BITE US YOU
KNOW AFGHANISTAN, EVEN IF THE
TALIBAN SAID AND NO WE'RE WE'RE
DISTANCING HERSELF FROM AL
QAEDA WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLY
OURSELVES WITH THESE TYPES OF
FORCES ANYMORE. AFGHANISTAN HAS
NO HISTORY OF STRONG
CENTRALIZED GOVERNMENT IT NEVER
HAS AND THE IDEA THAT THE
TALIBAN ARE GOING TO HELP THE
TYPE OF BALL LAWLESSNESS AND
THE TYPES OF TERRORIST GROUPS
THAT TOOK UP RESIDENCE THERE IN
THE PAST I DON'T THINK THEY
EVEN HAVE THE POWER TO DO THAT.
SO IT'S A VERY IT'S A VERY
RISKY AND THE THAT THE UNITED
STATES IS ENTERING UPON BY JUST
WALKING OUT THE DOOR ABOUT
CAN STAND.