how would you describe opinion in washington about that? well, i think first of all you are right to capture the debate in those terms. there is a lot of criticism of the biden decision. i think it was the wrong decision and also executed far too quickly. but also i think we are alljust processing what is happening. and some people who defend the president will say the fact that this whole house of cards has collapsed so fast has proved it really was a house of cards, which would seem to lend support to mr biden s view, that there was no point in keeping on with the mission that obviously was only building a shell of a government and of a security force. others of us would say afghans don t fight in a losing cause and if you pull the rug out so quickly and with so little warning and planning, which is what has happened in the last four months, then you increase dramatically the chances of this
foreign policy? well, i would also say that was the foreign policy? well, i would also say that was the policy foreign policy? well, i would also say that was the policy of - foreign policy? well, i would also say that was the policy of the - say that was the policy of the british government as well. everyone has wanted to get out of afghanistan since the day we went in. nobody goes into a war without thinking about how to get out. i can t play this on trump or biden. we have worked 20 years, not only to make the afghans self sufficient, but also with an eye towards an exit. so this is not germany, japan or western europe, it is of strategic importance to the united states, which is why we decided to stay in japan and south korea and europe for years and years, but this is not only a strategic issue for the americans, it is not in the strategic interest of her majesty s government either. i strategic interest of her ma esty s government either. strategic interest of her ma esty s
they don t want to fight alongside of us, we have got a corrupt government, if we have leaders that are running off the battlefield, why should we fight? find are running off the battlefield, why should we fight? should we fight? and what do you think when you should we fight? and what do you think when you see should we fight? and what do you think when you see the should we fight? and what do you | think when you see the helicopters taking embassy staff out of the city? taking embassy staff out of the ci ? ~ ., ., ., ., city? well, i am old enough to remember city? well, i am old enough to remember when city? well, i am old enough to remember when that - city? well, i am old enough to| remember when that happened city? well, i am old enough to . remember when that happened in city? well, i am old enough to - remember when that happened in 1975 in vietnam and the major reason that the army of the republic of vietnam fell was not because they were not capable, it was becaus
the latest engagement that we had with them, this morning injalalabad, where we discussed how humanitarian, especially unicef in this case, will be able to resume their activity and those activities are really life saving interventions at this. interventions at this stage. let s look at some of the day s other news: haiti s civil protection service has said that at least 724 died in saturday s massive earthquake. the powerful 7.2 magnitude quake flattened homes, churches and schools. hospitals have left overwhelmed and in need of supplies. the disaster compounds the problems facing haiti which is already dealing with a political crisis following the assassination of its president last month. anti government demonstrators in thailand have staged a protest involving thousands of cars, to demand the resignation of the prime minister over
sort of catastrophe. i really think that, president biden s response notwithstanding, this is obviously not going to be a feather in his cap. the only question now is going to be about damage limitation. how do we show the world that in fact this president can be resolute on other problems and be a good ally on other problems when he, in myjudgment, was not resolute and was not a good ally in regard to afghanistan? michael, our reporter from ground zero on 9/11 knows, as we all do, what this has meant to people in the united states, but what you seem to be saying is that to a large extent the us mission of the last 20 years is revealed as a mirage? well, i m afraid that these are debates that have happened elsewhere around the world. you know very well in britain, britain worked, fought so hard and lost so many people in helmand province in afghanistan