Deteriorating security situation. But after 20 years of war and thousands of lives lost, the question is, what was it all for . Plus, a major Earthquake Hits haiti, leaving more than 1200 people dead. Theres been a scramble overnight to find any survivors trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. The question is what is the scope of this disaster . And as the Delta Variant causes covid cases to surge, a new warning from top u. S. Health officials. The u. S. Could soon hit more than 200,000 new cases per day. The question is, how does Americas Hospital system keep up . Its Way Too Early for this. Good morning, and welcome to Way Too Early, the show that has a lot of news to get to. Im Jonathan Lemire on this monday, august 16th. We have plenty going on and we start overseas where 20 years after the united states toppled the Taliban Regime in afghanistan, the group is on the verge of retaking political power. Taliban forces entered the capital of kabul on saturday, continuing a recent blitz that has seen insurgents capture more than half of afghanistans 34 provincial capitals. The group overtook abandoned Police Posts and reportedly gained control of the Bagram Air Force yesterday which the u. S. Turned over to afghan forces last month. Afghans pled to the airport In Kabul looking to escape the violence only to find commercial flights suspended over reported gunfire. One person who was able to escape was the Countrys President ashraf ghani. Nbc news confirmed ghani left to, quote, prevent a flood of bloodshed. His current location is unknown. We do Know Kabul has been safely evacuateed. Spokesman ned price said in a statement last night, we can confirm the Saifee Evacuation of all Embassy Personnel is now complete. All Embassy Personnel are located on the Prel Sis of Hamid Karzai International Airport whose perimeter is secured by the u. S. Military. Smoke could be seen rising over the u. S. Embassy Compound Yesterday as u. S. Officials worked to keep sensitive material from falling in taliban hands. Nbc news has confirmed that the american flag was lowered and securely removed by Embassy Staff. President biden is watching the events in afghanistan unfold from Camp David where he is receiving regular briefings and holding Conference Calls with members of his national security team. Nbc news white House Correspondent Monica alba has the latest. Reporter as afghanistan falls to taliban control, the biden administration stands by its plan to leave. That is the hard decision the president made. Reporter secretary of State Anthony Blinken insisting theres not much more the united states can do. Ultimately its up to the afghans themselves. Its up to the afghan government, up to the taliban to decide the way forward for the country. Reporter now conceding the talibans advances have been far faster than even he forecasted in june. I dont think its going to be something that happens from a friday to a monday. Reporter placing blame on the afghan security forces. Tragically they have not been able to defend the country, and i think that explains why this has boomed as quickly as it moved. Reporter pointing the finger at the Trump Administrations deal with the taliban to withdraw American Forces when i may of this year. The idea we could have maintained the Status Quo by May 1st if the president decided to stay is a fiction. Reporter candidate biden promised to bring troops home and President Biden guaranteed last month there would be no airlifts from the embassy In Kabul. Saying it was not at all analogous to the messy exit from vietnam four decades ago. This is manifestly not saigon. Reporter still, helicopters continuously Evacuated Americans and our afghan allies to the airport, an optical comparison republicans have seized on as they continue to blast the president s foreign policy strategy. This is going to be a stain on this president and his presidency. And i think hes going to have blood on his hands for what they did. This has been an Epic Failure across the board, one were going to pay for for years to come. Senior Administration Officials i have spoken to in the last 24 hours acknowledge being stunned by the speed of the taliban advance. They knew that the taliban would move and take territory, but they are taken aback by how quickly the Afghan Military folded and how quickly that the afghan government seems to have collapsed. But this, of course, lets underscore. President biden has had this longheld belief that American Forces should not be a permanent presence in afghanistan, that they should come home. He is following through on a deal first brokered by his predecessor, donald trump. The officials i talked to Yesterday Saydee Spite these images out of afghanistan, there is no Course Correction planned. They feel, in fact, these aids tell me, that It Underscores and reaffirms their decision to leave. That if american troops after 20 years were there for 20 years, and this is what they saw, afghan forces folding this quickly, what difference would another six months or year or two years make . But President Biden and his team certainly watching whats happening here know they have to address it. Plans underway for President Biden to address the nation about the situation in afghanistan, potentially assumed tomorrow when he returns from Camp David to the White House for those rorkz. Republican lawmakers blast the Trump And Biden administrations over the weekend for the imminent take over of afghanistan by the taliban. Senator Ben Sass of nebraska issued a blistering statement that reads in part, quote, the unmitigated disaster in afghanistan, the shameful Saigonlike Abandonment of kabul, the brutal assassination of women is the brutal outcome of the Trump Biden Doctrine of weakness. History must be clear about this. American troops didnt lose this war. Donald trump and Joe Biden deliberately decided to lose. America will regret this. Congresswoman Liz Cheney of wyoming also laid blame at the feet of both add mentions. Administrations. I think absolutely President Biden Bears Responsibility for making this decision. But there is no question that President Trump, his administration, secretary pompeo, they also bear very significant responsibility for this. They walked down this path of legitimatizing the taliban, of perpetuating this fantasy, telling the american people that the taliban were a partner for peace. President trump told us that the taliban was going to fight terror. Secretary pompeo told us that the taliban was going to renounce Al Qaeda. None of that has happened. None of it has happened. While the biden administration faces criticism over the collapse of afghanistan, former Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo was confronted about his own record of legitimatizing the taliban during an interview on Fox News sunday. Do you regret giving the taliban that legitimacy . Do you regret pressing the afghan government to release 5,000 prisoners, which they did, some of whom are now back on the Battle Field fighting with the taliban . Chris, you make peace with your enemies. The statement that i made that day was absolutely true. You can ask the military leaders on the ground. We did good work to crush Al Qaeda. When we left office, there were fewer than 200 Al Qaeda left in afghanistan. Chris, we never trusted the taliban. You can ask them yourselves. We made abundantly clear if they did not live up to that piece of paper, to the words they put on the ground. We werent going to allow them to walk away from any deal they struck. We were going to go crush them. The Trump Administration suggested the idea of having Peace Talks with the taliban at Camp David right around the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. We, of course, are coming up on the terror attacks, 20th Anniversary of those attacks in just a few weeks. It should also be noted a number of republicans praised President Bidens plan to withdraw troops when it was first announced. Joining us now from abu dhabi, middle East Correspondent from cnbc dan murphy. Dan, thank you so much for being here today. Lets start with the airport. We just talked about that. Has the Kabul Airport reopened for commercial flights . Is there any Time Line . Reporter it has not reopened for commercial flights. And we understand the situation at Kabul Airport continues to deteriorate at this hour. Actually Nbc News reporting only a short time ago that shots have been fired at the airport and were seeing mass gatherings at Kabul Airport as well as thousands of afghan civilians look to escape the country clearly concerned about what is a deteriorating Security Environment right now. Of course, we are witnessing a historic moment here, guys. 20 years after the u. S. Invasion of afghanistan, extraordinary pictures emerging just in the past 24 hours of taliban insurgents armed inside the president ial palace in afghanistan. That came shortly after cnbc here in the Middle East was able to confirm that the afghan president had fled the country fearing for his safety. And as those scenes at the palace played out for the world to see, just yesterday, at the same time we also saw the u. S. Scrambling an additional 6000 troops to the u. S. Embassy In Kabul seeking to protect American Citizens and american it diplomatic personnel on the ground there and assist them with that ongoing evacuation. So the situation on the grounds in afghanistan continues to be quite fluid. But, of course, the primary concern right now is what is happening at Kabul Airport. And those developments we will continue to monitor for you. At the same time, the secretary of State Anthony Blinken defending this decision to withdraw american troops from the country, saying it was in the best interest of the united states to do so. Hes also called for a peaceful transition of power, whatever that might look like. The other thing were looking out for today, of course, is the Emergency Summit of the united nations. This is going to be very important to watch. Clearly weve seen the u. N. Secretarygeneral already condemning the attacks that weve seen against afghan civilians and also calling for a peaceful resolution and a peaceful transition of power. We are likely also to hear from other countries condemning the action of the taliban that we have seen, that no doubt, historic moment still unfolding right now in afghanistan. We just heard from the State Department that american Embassy Personnel have been safely transported to the airport. Do you have a sense as to when their evacuation will begin . When will u. S. Start to get those americans out of afghanistan . How will they do it . That evacuation is already underway. For example, countries like the United Arab Emirates were on base right now deploying resources into afghanistan and sending aircraft to Kabul Airport to help coordinate an evacuation for diplomatic personnel, not only for the united states, but also from the uk as well as the european union, canada, australia and others. So there is a major effort underway now to get those staff out of the country and, of course, ultimately from the american side to protect the interests of the united states and to protect those american personnel who have been working in afghanistan. Still a number of questions to be answered, though, including what does the future of afghan Leadership Look like at this point . No doubt thats going to be a topic of conversation at this Emergency Summit of the u. N. How will world powers ultimately going to play out with what happens next here. And at the same time also, how did the afghan government and the Afghan Army miss this. How is it possible that after two decades of american engagement on the ground they were unprepared to protect and defend afghan citizens from the full taliban take over from afghanistan. Cnbcs Phil Murphy live. Thank you. The search in haiti after the massive earthquake. Plus, Tennis Superstar Roger federer needs another knee surgery. 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Tech thats service you can trust. Singers safelite repair, safelite replace. Tatis is already homered once. Make it twice. Thats the second pair of Home Runs hit by fernandez tatis, jr. , after his return from a partially dislocated shoulder. I traded tatis for my fantasy team. He played right field the first time in his career. He led San Diego against Arizona 82 in a fourday sweep. The diamondbacks tossed a No Hitter in his first big league start. The padres maintain their lead in the national Wild Card spot. The giants sit atop the west. Many still have the dodgers as the team to beat a division, me included. Los angeles slugged five Home Runs including Matt Munsey to wrap a three Game Sweep of the New York mets, two games to four. They Pickup Steam in pursuit of back to back titles. The mets wont get a break. Another tough series scheduled against the Giants Today as they look to make up ground from third place in the east, two games the atlanta braves. In sole possession of their division, 65 victory over the washington nationals. Al central Kristen Mackenzie came four outs away from perfection retiring the first 23 tigers he faced before giving up a single with two outs in the 8th inning. The only hit allowed in the 110 win, he would have a careerhigh 11 strikeouts. The yankees would hang onto a 53 win as they bounce back from a heartbreaking loss in the Field Of Dreams in iowa to take two of three against the white sox. New york still third in the al east. 2 1 2 games behind the Red Sox after baltimores sweep. Five games behind the division leading Tampa Bay rays. The yankees will look for a boost to the mound of ace gerrit coal, one of nine yankees to test positive for coronavirus. The series beginning tomorrow. This show might be paying attention. Turning now to pro tennis where Roger Federer will miss this months u. S. Open after revealing he needs a third surgery on the right knee. This will sideline him for months. The 40yearold acknowledged there is a chance his Playing Career is over. But the operation will give him, quote, A Glimmer Of Hope for a comeback. It comes after federer missed more than a year of action after first having his knee repaired in february 2020, before a Followup Procedure that june. It leaves him out of the competition with Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for aimens Record 21st Grand Slam singles title. Feel better, roger. He is my favorite for that group. Lets go to the Meteorologist Bill karins keeping an eye on tropical storm fred. Bill, whats going on . Yeah, were expecting that landfall later today. We just got the new information in from the national hurricane center. And we have a tropical Storm Warning for panama city. We expect about 8 00 p. M. Today that potential landfall there right along the coastal area. Heres the new update. Winds are at 50 miles per hour. Its gotten a little bit stronger. Its heading to the north at 9 miles per hour. The weather will go downhill quickly today. You can see the big bend area, panama city. 60 miles per hour is the Peak Winds will move on shore. Not enough to do a lot of damage. There will be a little bit of storm surge. There could be isolated tornadoes. It will head north to georgia by the time we get to tuesday. The biggest impacts would be rainfall if we get them. Locally up to 10 inches on the gulf coast. Flash Flood Threat for the appalachian mountains. Eventually all of that rain will head up into the midatlantic region. Finally we still have a tropical Depression Grace to talk about. This one thankfully is going to stay south of Cuba And South of florida, possibly clipping southern texas, but fred is the immediate concern, jonathan, and well watch that all day long here on msnbc. Bill karins, please keep us posted. Thank you so very much. Still ahead, the Coronavirus Pandemic is overwhelming hospitals and pediatric cases are growing at an alarming rate. 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But here we are with Delta Variant, which is so contagious, and this heartbreaking situation where 90 Million people are still unvaccinated who are sitting ducks for this virus, and thats the mess were in. Were in a world of hurt and its a critical juncture to try to do everything we can to turn that around. That was the director of the national institutes of health, dr. Francis collins warning about the possibility of the u. S. Hitting 200,000 covid cases a day. The fight against the Delta Variant is overwhelming hospitals. It comes as major cities gear up to require proof of vaccination for some indoor activities. Nbc News Kathy Park has the latest. Reporter the Covid Crisis overwhelming hospitals out west. In utah the states largest Health Care System is struggling to keep up. Stretched thin, treating mostly unvaccinated patients. Awful, completely. This is not a place that we want to be. Reporter and nationwide, pediatric cases are growing at an alarming rate, too. Nearly 94,000 new infections in a week, roughly a 400 increase in a month as more kids head back to school. Recent outbreaks in georgia now forcing several counties to suspend inperson learning. Teachers Cant Plan where they have to teach the Face To face students. Less also have to teach the kids that are quarantined. Theyre doing double duty. Reporter and the debate over vaccine mandates boiling over. In kentucky protests over Vaccine Requirements for Health Care workers. In Los Angeles one person was stabbed during a clash outside City Hall between pro and antivaccination demonstrators. And in New York city, protesters blocking roads outside the Mayors Residence a day before the city becomes the first to require proof of vaccination at indoor restaurants, Entertainment Venues and gyms. Its about saving human life. Its not about money in the short term. Reporter the rule applies to both customers and workers who can show their Vaccination Status through an App Or Vaccine card. If youre unvaccinated, unfortunately you will not be able to participate in many things. Thats the point were trying to get across. Reporter but few details are shared how to follow the new mandate, and penalties for noncompliance. Restaurant owners hit hard by the pandemic say it is adding more to their plate. The Hospitality Industry consistently becomes the scapegoat for everything covid. That was nbcs kathy park. Still ahead, President Biden is standing by his decision to pull u. S. Troops from afghanistan, even amid new reporting that he and other officials were surprised by the talibans rapid gains in the country. Nbc Courtney Kube will join us with the very latest. But before we go to break, we want to know, why are you awake . Email your reasons to Way Too Early at msnbc. Com, or tweet me at John Lemire using the waytooearly. Well read our favorite answers later in the show. Music playing. 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Nearly 1300 people are dead after a devastating Earthquake Hit haiti on saturday. As many as 3,000 are injured from the 7. 2 Magnitude Quake as Search And Rescue crews including the u. S. Coast guard are on hand trying to find survivors. Thousands are sleeping in the streets and soccer fields. As many homes, schools and churches were damaged or destroyed. To make matters worse haiti must brace for a likely tropical storm this evening which could bring torrential rain, flooding and landslides. Joining us now, nbcs ed augustin. Ed, thank you for joining us. Weve seen some of the images coming out of haiti. Can you give us a better sense as to how bad things really are there right now . Reporter things are bad. The Death Count has been upgraded substantially overnight to now over a thousand, 1,293 people now confirmed dead in this earthquake which, i should point out on the Richter Scale was even bigger than the catastrophic earthquake that haiti so infamously suffered back in 2010. This Earthquake Hit in the southwestern part of haiti. There are thousands of people injured, thousands of homes completely destroyed, and Last Night Thousands of people slept out on the street, many because they dont have a home to sleep in. Many because theyre terrified of the aftershocks, the tremors, the possibility of a Repeat Earthquake that could happen and people worry kill even more people. And to compound matters, make it even worse, tropical Storm Grace is passing near the island. Later on tonight it is scheduled to pass directly over southwestern haiti, which is where the earthquake struck, which can lead to flooding, which can lead to torrential rains, strong winds, and unfortunately landslides. Haiti, many parts of haiti, including the southwest of the island have been heavily dee forested in recent decades, making it more prone to mudslides. So one can only imagine the amount of trauma that thousands of families, millions of families in haiti are going to be living through tonight when yet again the elements are lined up against people just days after this horrible quake. And you mentioned the 2010 quake. Could you give us a comparison in terms of not just the Richter Scale, but in terms of the devastation, how this one compares to that one . And then secondly, this, of course, comes for a country already reeling by the assassination of its president a few weeks ago. Who is in charge here . Who is leading the Recovery Response for the people in haiti . Reporter its a good question whether the quake is worse in terms of humanitarian damage than the one that happened 11 years ago. We are still finding out. Communications are poor. The image will clarify over the next couple of days. But the impression were getting is its not on the same scale. Its not as bad as the 2010 one, even on the Richter Scale it was more powerful. After the 2010 earthquake, No One knows precisely how many people died. Between 100,000s and 360,000 are the ranges. It was really a cataclysmic level of damage. And one of the reasons so many people died is that Earthquake Hit close to portauprince, close to haitis capital. This hit in a rural area, an area where people are living where the population is less densely populated, and that might be a key factor which explains why so far were not seeing a Death Count thats anywhere near as high thank goodness, as the other one. In terms of political instability, yeah, very, very difficult time. We have Ariel Henry who is the acting Head Of State, the prime minister at the moment, and he is overseeing that humanitarian response in conditions that are very difficult. Big swaths of haiti controlled by gangs and the u. N. World food is saying it is very difficult for them to enter certain parts and give relief. Coordinating a humanitarian Relief Program for any haitian Head Of State at the moment is would be very, very testing. Ed augustin, thank you so very much for that report. We will be keeping an eye on the situation in haiti. In other news, a federal judge on friday declined to allow millions of people to be kicked out of their homes. The washington, d. C. District Court Judge blocked a request by a group of landlords that wanted to stop the cdcs new eviction moratorium. The judge ruled in favor of the biden administration based on technical grounds, saying she was bound by an early appeals court ruling. The White House said it expects the ruling to be appealed. More than 11 Million americans are estimated to be behind on their rent, which would force the cdc to issue a new Eviction Ban after the previous one that expired in july. The latest moratorium which targets areas with high covid rates ends on october 3rd. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to keep her caucus together as progressives and moderates demand separate actions on infrastructure. Yesterday Speaker Pelosi proposed a single procedural vote later this month to set up both pieces of legislation. Progressives want the 3. 5 trillion Reconciliation Package passed before they will consider the bipartisan bill. But a group from the more moderate faction of the party is pulling their weight as well saying they will oppose the Budget Resolution until the bipartisan bill is passed. Democrats have a razor thin margin in the house. It will need nearly their entire caucus to vote in favor for both bills to pass. Still ahead, the debut of a totally different line of Barbie Dolls honoring heroes of the pandemic. Way too early is back in just a minute. Dont go anywhere. T go anywhere. Im norm. Im szasz. [norm] and we live in columbia, missouri. We do consulting, but we also write. [szasz] we take care of ourselves constantly; its important. 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Toy maker mattel announced it is creating a one of a kind Barbie Doll to honor Health Care workers who are on the front lines of the pandemic. Mattel will donate 5 from each doll in the line sold to the first responders childrens foundation. All the dolls are modelled after real people, including Las Vegas dr. Andrey sue cruz. Dr. Cruz worked on the front lines in the Hospital And Clinic settings for inter mountain Health Care. She also blogged about her life as a doctor, posted wellness content, and collaborated with other Asian American physicians to stand up to discrimination. The company said it chose cruz because she, quote, made made a positive impact in her community, inspiring current and future generations for years to come. Legendary singer Tony Bennett is stepping away from the stage. The 95yearold has cut his tour short after two performances at Radio City Music hall with lady gaga. His family told variety the abrupt change of plans is doctors orders. While bennett diagnosed with alzheimers in 2016 is still a capable performer. The traveling would prove difficult with his condition. His son Danny Bennett telling variety, quote, his continued health is the most important part of this. Were not worried about him not being able to sing. Were worried from a physical standpoint about human nature. Bennett is 95. Lady gagas home for sale comes out september 1st. Osaka will donate her winnings to haiti. She will play in cincinnati, ohio later today. She tweeted, quote, it really hurts to see the devastation in haiti. Im about to play a tournament this week and i will give the prize winnings to haiti. I know our an Sisters Blood is strong. Well keep rising. Joseph of the Tampa Bay lightning chose to have a meal or a meal out of it. The team had a giant portion straight from the stanley cup. A Helping Hand poured a large pot of gravy over the Cheese Curds and french fries. The team dented the trophy during the parade while on the river. Meanwhile, a minor League Baseball Team in South Carolina is celebrating the return of its four legged teammate. Slider is an affiliate of the chicago cubs. Sidelined last year due to the pandemic, now making his return in full force doing what he loves most, retrieving bats. The pelicans have opted for Bat Dogs over humans for years. Slider is a third canine to serve the team. Good boy. Still ahead, nbcs Courtney Kube joins us with the latest on the reaction from the administration as thousands of u. S. Troops are sent to aid and evacuate americans still in afghanistans capital. Well be right back. Ack. So, you have diabetes, here are some easy rules. No sugar. No pizza. No foods you love. Stressed . No stress. Exercise. But no days off easy, no . No. No. No. No. But with Freestyle Libre 14 day, you can take the mystery out of your diabetes. Now you know. Sir, do you know what you want to order . Yes. Freestyle libre 14 day. Try it for free. 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Meanwhile, my colleagues and i at the associate press are Reporting Biden and other top u. S. Officials are surprised by the pace of the talibans nearly complete take over of afghanistan. The president has been watching unfold from Camp David where he is receiving regular briefings and holding Conference Calls with members of his national security team. The a. P. Notes the next several days could be critical in determining whether the u. S. Is able to regain some level of control over the situation. Meanwhile, the us us is sending an additional 1,000 troops to kabul to help with the evacuation of American Citizens and allies there. In a joint statement last night, the State And Defense departments said, in part, quote, tomorrow and over the coming days, we will be transferring out of the Country Thousands of American Citizens who have been resident in afghanistan as well as locally employed staff of the u. S. Mission In Kabul and their families and other particularly vulnerable afghan nationals. On saturday, the White House announced the deployment of another 5,000 troops to assist In Kabuls main airport. Joining us now with more on this, nbcs national correspondent Courtney Kube. Walk us through, whats happening behind the scenes with the Military And Intelligence personnel . Is it one group taking the other to task for how all this unfolded . How did we get here so quickly . Reporter no, i mean, i dont get the sense that there is some dramatic or desperate effort to figure out what happened. Right now i think the desperation lies in getting americans and afghan allies out of kabul. But i think the longer Term Question that we will be asking in the coming days, weeks and potentially even months is its not a surprise that the taliban have taken over afghanistan, but its just the speed with which they have been able to do it. So Defense Officials who i spoke with and our colleague Ken Dilanian spoke with, they explained to us there was one worst Case Scenario they were looking at about a month ago that had the taliban taking over afghanistan and In Kabul as early as September 11th of this year. So in a couple of weeks. Well, think about it. You know, theyre a month earlier than that. So that just gives you a sense and that was a worst Case Scenario. That assumed that the Afghan Military would not fight in most places. I think what was surprising here is the Afghan Military didnt fight in just about anyplaces. There were a couple of key strategic areas where the afghan government sent the more elite special operators, the afghan commandos in to try to shore up some of the cities like mazarisharif in the North And Kandahar in the south. Those cities did hold out against the taliban offensive a little bit longer than others. What was really surprising to u. S. Officials is places like jalalabad, kunduz, k atika, some historically strong holds where the Afghan Military was capable, there was a belief they would hold up and fight against the taliban. In many cases they laid down their weapons, walked away, the taliban walked into many location ands took them over. That made the difference in how the taliban have taken over the country and isolated kabul. President biden announced more troops would head to afghanistan to help with the evacuations, but officials that ive talked to say for now, anyway, theres no Course Correction coming. Publicly we have not heard that from the president. Courtney, what are you hearing . How do you see the next hand of the of days or weeks play out here . Reporter im hearing the exact same thing. Candidly, theres been no change in the belief i mean, the truth is i dont know what they could do at this point. Its almost too late, you know. Were at a point now where the u. S. Embassy facility In Kabul is empty. The Embassy Staff who are left country are working out of the airport. The u. S. Military presence that is there is at the airport and its really just there to evacuate americans and any afghans who may be able to leave on a u. S. Diplomatic presence and then to secure the airport for that time, but thats it. The taliban have taken over most of the Country And Kabul is really the only place thats left where its somewhat in dispute over whos in charge. But the taliban are In Kabul. Theres nothing that the u. S. Can do at this point short of another fullscale invasion of that country to try to put the afghan government back into place. I see absolutely no appetite for that happening at this point the entire Military Mission is getting people out. Truly stunning images there. Nbcs Courtney Kube thank you for getting up Way Too Early with us. Earlier in the show we asked why are you awake . Daniel writings im up Way Too Early because this guy needs to walk at 3 30 a. M. And to watch the show, of course. Thank you. Paul tweeted im up Way Too Early to get my high schooler to the Bus Stop by 5 48. That is really early. Another viewer is up because they start a new job today. And jackie sends greetings from Down Under its not Way Too Early where i am, its actually 7 35 p. M. Here in australia, in lockdown. Its almost bedtime. Up next a look at axios one big thing and on Morning Joe well hear from jon finer about whats next for american foreign policy in the Middle East. Plus Congressman Jason Crow will join the conversation. Morning joe just moments away. This is a cold call this is annie. Will you turn to cold washing in tide. Unsubscribe. Wait, wait, wait this helps the environment. It saves you money. I will take that money. For the environment. I dont just play someone brainy on tv im an actual neuroscientist. And i love the science behind Neuriva Plus. Unlike ordinary memory supplements, Neuriva Plus fuels six key indicators of Brain Performance. 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Hello, jonathan, and the axios one big thing is system failure. The taliban capital, shows the lack of american intelligence and execution. No matter how you feel about the biden administration policy, the withdrawal policy, how this went down took them by surprise. We talked about the fact that less than a week ago there was a leak in 90 Days Kabul could fall. We thought kabul called fall thats incredible. We saw the video of a week ago, the month ago, the administration saying nothing could happen like a sweep through kabul. Just friday night, a top Administration Official telling axios jonathan swan, August 31st is a long way away well be using that time to get everybody out in an orderly way. It didnt happen. A friend of mine, who was a u. S. Official in afghan and iraq for more than 10 years texted me and he said, this is so stunning. This is something that were going to be studying as long as people study history. What this person said to me is that it shows some systemic failure in our diplomatic channels, our intelligence channels over decades. We just calculated this all wrong. These images at the airport are Gut Wrenching to watch. Youre right, what was thought to be months or weeks turned into a matter of days. Axios is reporteding on a Phone Call Yesterday in which top biden officials briefed senators about the situation in afghanistan. What can you tell us about the call . This was a surreal call. Yesterday they did a call with the the house members and the senators for both parties. It was general milly, general Austin And Secretary tony blinken, and the news on the call with the senators was that general milly revised what he said about the chances that afghanistan once again becomes a hot bed of terrorism. Why this matters . This is the reason we went in 20 years ago, the reason for the trillion dollars of spent. It was a little bit ago the same movie where the pentagon was saying there was a medium risk over a period of time, afghanistan could once again become a haven for terrorism. Of course, general milley said theyre moving that up, the surreal part was they were listening to top Administration Officials, the defense secretary, chairman of state, joint chiefs of staff, describe and narrate what was happening at the same time the senators on their phones were watching real time coverage from kabul of what was really happening. Extraordinarily important point about the mission in afghanistan to prevent it from being a harbor for terrorism and fears that could now happen again. Weve heard from some republicans bashing the biden administration. Isnt this a tricky one for them since so many supported the withdrawal of the troops from afghanistan when it was first proposed by President Trump . Thats right. Youre seeing a lot of rear covering here and hypocrisy here. There are two senators who have been consistent about this, Senator Lindsey Graham and senator mitch mcconnell, the senate republican leader. Everybody else is Shape Shifting and the politics of this are changing very quickly. Not the even lines that they want to be and jonathan, you will love this twist. What are republicans going to try to make this about . Theyre going to try to make it a border issue. That gets them back to their comfort zone. Mike allen, thank you very much for that. And thank you for getting up Way Too Early with us on this monday morning. All day long well be following developments in afghanistan which seem to change by the hour. And that begins right now on Morning Joe, dont go anywhere. Look, i think absolutely President Biden Bears Responsibility for making this decision. But there is no question that President Trump, his administration, secretary pompeo, they also bear significant responsibility for this. They walked down this path of legitimiing the taliban, telling the american people that the taliban were a partner for peace. President trump told us the taliban was going to fight terror. Secretary pompeo told us that the taliban was going to renounce Al Qaeda, none of that has happened. That is Congresswoman Liz Cheney holding the president and his predecessor to account for what is happening in afghanistan right now. Americas partners and innocent civilians face the deadly consequences. We have a team of reporters and elected officials with us. Plus the battle