Republicans argue the 'catastrophe' unfolding in Afghanistan could have been avoided

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpHE0b3t4pU"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]annalise it was just last month president biden was saying that he was confident the afghan government would stand after the u.s withdrawal of troops and the u.s withdrawal was well underway but what's been absolutely shocking for those watching what's been happening in afghanistan is just how quickly kabul has fallen there's been reports of some gunshots being heard but no reports of any actual battle in the streets or any pushback it seems that the taliban has walked right in and as you saw there straight into the palace as well the us was trying to withdraw the remaining 2500 u.s troops based in afghanistan they've now had to increase that to another additional 2500 and the pentagon is just in the last hour authorized another 1 000 troops to go to afghanistan but the major operation today has been evacuating the u.s embassy staff that had to be done quickly and when they've been previous analysis of what was happening the biden administration said that this isn't something that would change in a few days this has certainly happened now the flag has been removed from the top of the u.s embassy any potential items that could be used by the taliban coming in for their own propaganda purposes have been taken by the staff with them and there was extensive burning of documents as they're left but what they've also left is thousands of afghanis who supported the us government during this 20 years in afghanistan they've been left to deal with the taliban now taking over and the comparison we made as to what happened with the withdrawal of saigon those pictures of the staffing evacuated from the u.s embassy certainly bear a striking resemblance to exactly what happened in saigon but the secretary of state anthony blinken was quite forthright earlier today just a few hours ago even when the situation was much better in afghanistan than we've seen it deteriorate so quickly that this was not something you could compare to vietnam this is not saigon we went to afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission and that mission was to deal with the folks who attacked us on 9 11 and we have succeeded in that mission the objective that we set bringing those who attacked us to justice uh making sure that they couldn't attack us again from afghanistan we've succeeded in that mission this is ignited rage right across the political spectrum in the united states in particular from republicans who are in favor of keeping a presence in afghanistan in the long term something similar to what you've seen in south korea but also to not give the taliban such a long-run warning that the us was going to leave and to put it on such a significant date of the 20th anniversary of 9 11 which is fast approaching but what we've seen joe biden say just last month is that they didn't anticipate that anything like what's happening today could happen the likelihood there's going to be the taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely and pete if you look at those pictures of what's happening in the presidential palace in kabul right now the taliban have walked right in and so that very much goes counter to the predictions of joe biden just a short time ago republicans especially the more moderate factions are saying that this absolutely could have been avoided the catastrophe that we're watching unfold right now across afghanistan did not have to happen and it's not just that people predicted that this would happen everyone was warned that this would happen and pete it just doesn't get more extraordinary than this but the president of afghanistan has fled the country leaving his compatriots to face the taliban coming he's put a statement to facebook saying dear compatriots today i came across a tough choice i have to either face the armed taliban who want to enter the palace or leave the country where i have dedicated my life to protecting and nurturing it for the last 20 years the taliban had made it clear that they were ready to carry out a bloody attack on all of kabul and the people of kabul sheriff to oust me in order to protect sorry prevent a flood of bloodshed i should say i decided to leave the taliban have won the sword and gun judgment and are now responsible for protecting the honor property and self of their compatriots but the legitimacy of hearts did not win them over never in history has dry force given legitimacy to anyone and never will that will of course be not uh much comfort to the many women who've been left behind in afghanistan to face the oncoming taliban and the new administration that they will rule they have had some undertakings that things won't go back to the way they were but that doesn't give much confidence to anyone who's been left behind there joe biden still remains on vacation at the moment yeah right and uh taliban also ensuring annelise aren't they that they will ensure safe passage for anybody who wants to leave kabul over the next few days and i'll be getting the prime minister's response to all of that plus a few other issues coming up at 6 50. thank you annelise we'll talk to you soon<br><!-- wp:image {"id":1776,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} -->rn<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img class="wp-image-1776" src="https://en.videoencontexto.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Republicans_argue_the_catastrophe_unfolding_in_Afghanistan_could_have_been_avoid_QpHE0b3t4pU.jpg" alt="Republicans argue the \'catastrophe\' unfolding in Afghanistan could have been avoided" /></figure>rn<!-- /wp:image -->[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]