note walking away from that. >> you use the word moral obligation, a colleague at the state department feels like we've abandoned our moral obligation made to afghan women and girls. how do you feel? >> i've been in afghanistan. i did a short stint there as well and i think a lot of people here at the defense department feel strongly about the service that we all rendered in afghanistan. there was a purpose to go. and that purpose was to make sure that afghanistan couldn't be a safe haven for attacks upon the homeland. and if you look back 20 years, we're heading into the 20th anniversary of 9/11. and there hasn't been one, not of that level and emanating from afghanistan and the president had to make a tough decision as all commander-in-chiefs have to do. and one of them so to make sure that we can't let it be a safe haven again and how do you do that without perpetuating another 20 years of war. after 20 years of war there is only so much progress that you