elections and banning all narcotics activity. so yes, the taliban run afghanistan, but that does not mean we ever accept their behavior. i supported the decision to eventually withdraw our military from afghanistan. i have long maintained, however, that how the united states left, mattered. doing the right thing in the wrong way can end up being the wrong thing. and to get this right, the biden administration needed to answer two fundamental questions. first, would the withdrawal leave a durable political arrangement? second, would the u.s. and allies maintain the ability to conduct counterterrorism operations in a region still ripe with groups including isis-k seeking to do us harm. i believe the u.s. fell short on the first measure and time will tell on the second, but the prospects don't look promising. so let me start with some