Security to baggage handling. And they may have actually prevented some attacks. All of this raises the urgent question of what comes next for the administratiOn And the pentagon in this new and uncertain postwar era. As we await Secretary Austin, general milley joined by our own Courtney Kube at the pentagon, mike at the White House and former deputy national Security Adviser to george w. Bush and Nbc News national Security Analyst and ben hodges who served to the u. S. Army in europe is also with me who wrote very eloquently that military leaders need to admit that mistakes were made, as well. Let me start with you, courtney. What should we expect from this briefing and what shouldnt we expect . So we should expect to hear from general milley and Secretary Austin thanks to Thep Tos involved in this Evacuation Mission. As we heard from president biden yesterday they consider it a success they got 100,000 people out of aafghanistan, but It Cam at a high cost. Dozens of afghan civilians were injured in killed in an attack at Kabul Airport last week. We should hear them say today that they are proud of the men and women who served in this missiOn And recognize the fact that after two decades In Afghanistan the u. S. Military mission there has ended, chuck. And, courtney, what do you think, what are the questions theyre going to try to duck and not deal with even though we need answers to . So, i mean, among the questions are exactly what you were talking about in the intro, chuck. What will the u. S. Relationship, if any, be with the taliban going forward . There are some people who are calling for a continuing diplomatic relationship with the taliban because there is a u. S. , the u. S. Has, is still interested in getting more americans and more afghans out of afghanistan. But the Defense Officials who im speaking with are skeptical about the idea that this is a new and changed taliban. They changed their brutal ways and i think the briefing is about to start now. I was just going to say. I saw that behind you. Ill let you sit down. And with that, we will turn it over to Secretary Austin and general milley. Good afternoon, thanks for being here. Its been a busy time for all of us in this department. A proud one and a solemn one, too. We have concluded our historic Evacuation Operation and ended the last mission of the u. S. War In Afghanistan. Americas longest war has come to a close. Now both as secretary and as a veteran of our afghan war, my thoughts have been with the Brave Americans who stood up to serve after Al Qaeda attacked us on september 11, 2001. And my heart is with their families and Loved Ones and with our friends and allies and with our fellow citizens whose lives were lost or changed forever over 20 years before. We remember 2,461 american Service Members and personnel who paid the ultimate price in this war. And more than 20,000 wounded americans, some still carrying the scars that you cant see on the outside. We also remember the thousands of americans contractors who lost their lives. And hundreds of our allies and partners from nato and beyond. Tens of thousands of afghan solar is and Police Officers and tens of thousands more afghan civilians. Now we have just concluded the largest Air Evacuation of civilians in american history. It was heroic. It was historic. And i hope that all americans will unite to thank our Service Members for their courage and their compassion. They were operating in an immensely dangerous and dynamic environment. But our troops were tireless, fearless and selfless. Our commanders never flinched. And our allies and partners were extraordinary. United states evacuated some 6,000 American Citizens in a total of more than 124,000 civilians. And we did it all in the midst of a pandemic and in the face of grave and growing threats. I am incredibly proud of those who made it happen and they made it happen with Grit And Skill and humanity. Our outstanding men and women showed steady judgment under crushing pressure. Including some very young Service Members who summoned up exceptional courage at close quarters. They ran an International Airport. They sped up visas. They fed the hungry. They comforted the desperate. And they got plane after plane after plane into the sky. Our forces risked their own lives to save the lives of others. And 13 of our very best paid the ultimate price. Many of them were too young to personally remember the 9 11 attacks. United States Military will always honor their heroism. We mourn with their families and we owe them support through the days and years ahead. It is noteworthy that on the day of the attack at the airport our troops and their partners pushed hard and carry on. Putting 89 rescue flights in the air in a span of 24 hours. And lifting 12,500 souls to freedom. It has been an enormous achievement, not just by the u. S. Military, but also by the militaries of our allies and partners. And, of course, by our teammates at the State Department. Now the war is over and were entering a new chapter. One in which our diplomats and our Inner Agency partners take the lead. Were part of an urgent Team Effort to move afghan evacuees out of temporary housing in intermediate staging bases in the gulf and in europe and on to begin new lives. And ill be traveling to the gulf next week to thank our partners there who have done so much to help save and shelter afghan civilians. Now, some of those brave afghans will be coming to make new lives with their families in america. After careful Screening And Security vetting run by our international partners. Were temporarily sheltering some of these evacuees at military facilities here at home. And im proud of the way that our military communities have welcomed them. Some of these courageous afghans fought alongside us. And they and their families have more than earned their places in the land of the free and the home of the brave. And welcoming these afghans isnt just about what theyve done, its about who we are. Now as one mission ends, others must go on. And even during our afghan retrograde, this department was racing to help victims of Natural Disasters at home and abroad. And we still are. We have been driving to end the pandemic. And weve continued to tackle Security Challenges from china and russia, Iran And North korea. Its our duty to defend this nation. And were not going to take our eye off the ball. And that means relentless Counterterrorism Efforts against any threat to the american people from any place. It means working with our partners to shore up stability in the region around afghanistan. And it means a new focus to our leadership in this young century. To meet the Security Challenges from china. To seize new opportunities in The Endopacific and else where and to deepen our ties with all allies and new partners. And to defend our democracy against all enemies. But for today, i want to end with the word to the force and their families. I know that these have been difficult days for many of us. And as we look back as a nation on the war In Afghanistan, i hope that we will all do so with thoughtfulness and respect. I will always be proud of the part that we played in this war. But we shouldnt expect afghan War Veterans to agree any more than any other group of americans. Ive heard strong views from many sides in recent days. And thats vital. Thats democracy. Thats america. As we always do, this department will look back clearly and professionallyp and learn every lesson that we can. Thats our way. But right now its time to thank all those who served in this war. Because you are the greatest asset that we have. You. The extraordinary men and women who volunteer to keep us all safe and your families. So my prayers are with you and with the Gold Star families who lost Loved Ones In Afghanistan and with the warriors who mourn their fallen brothers and sisters. With those who bear the wounds of war to body and to soul. We will never forget what you did. And what you gave. Our country owes you thanks that wont fade. And support that wont falter. The war has ended, but our gratitude never will. And, finally, just a word about the Navy Helicopter Mishap overnight off the coast of california. I know the navy is working diligently at Search And Rescue operations. And on behalf of the whole department, i want to pass on our thoughts and prayers for the best possible outcome. Its yet another reminder of the dangers our men and women face every day. Overseas, at sea and here at home. Let me turn it over to the chairman. Thanks, secretary. And good afternoon, everyone. Three weeks ago the United States military received the mission to conduct a noncombatant Evacuation Operation from afghanistan in support of the department of state in order to evacuate American Citizens, the department of State Designated Afghans with a directed Completion Date of 31 august. The key military tasks were to secure and defend International Airport in kabul, evacuate all embassy personnel, evacuate all American Citizens that wanted to get out and evacuate other afghans as designated by the department of state and retrograde all of the u. S. Military. In short, the United States military was tasked to conduct two highly complex missions simultaneously. A retrograde while in contact with the enemy and a nonpermissive environment. We executed that mission in a highly dynamic, dangerous operating environment. From a wartorn country. It was conducted across nine countries and 26 temporary Safe Havens. We deployed between 5,000 and 6,000 Military Personnel on the ground. Some of whom were deployed based on our contingency planning. These elements came from the 82nd Airborne Division Special Forces and the marine corps along with Navy And Air force personnel. Flying in support were Combat Aircraft from the Air Force and navy, as well as incredible support from the transport aircraft, the pilots and crews of the United States transportation command. And new strike group. We flew 387 u. S. Military C17 And C130 shorties and we enabled 391 nonu. S. Military. Evacuated a total of 124,334 people. Which included almost 6,000 American Citizens third country nationals and Afghans Designa by the department of state. We will continue to evacuate American Citizens under the leadership of the department of state as this mission has now transitioned from a Military Mission to a diplomatic mission. Evacuees flowed through the state Safe Haven and Central Command and European Command for onward movement to the United States, a third country with their home of origin for repatriation. Evacuees complete medical and Security Screening Vetting in accordance with the lead federal agencys guidance, the department of homeland security. Currently theres approximately 20,000 evacuees in seven staging bases in five countries in Central Command. Another 23,000 in seven staging bases and four countries in europe. And as of this morning, there are approximately 20,000 afghans who arrived at eight different Military Bases in the continental United States. This Mission Cost 11 marines, one soldier and one Navy Corpsman their lives. And 22 others who were wounded in action. In addition to over 100 afghans killed and wounded in a horrific Terrorist Attack on 26 August at Abbey Gate on the southeast perimeter of the airport. Those soldiers, sailors and marines gave their lives so that others may live free. They literally gave their tomorrows for the tomorrows of people they never knew. Those 124,000, they never knew the 13 who died and they will never know the 22 who were wounded and the thousands of dead and thousands of wounded who came before them. But they will now live in freedom because of american bloodshed on their behalf. Nearly two decades have passed since that horrible dark September Day in our Nations History when 2,977 innocent lives were murdered. Since then the men and women of and interagency partners have fought tirelessly to defeat terrorists In Afghanistan and around the world. Both at home and abroad, their talent, their efforts have carried this Fight Day and night. In afghanistan, our mission, our Military Mission has now come to an end. Were going to learn from this experience as a military. How we got to this moment In Afghanistan will be analyzed and studied for years to come. And we in the military will approach this with humility, transparency and candor. There are many tactical operational and strategic lessons to be learned. 800,000 of us in uniform served In Afghanistan over the last 20 years. Our nation spent over a trillion dollars and most importantly 2,461 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines gave the last full measure of devotion while 20,691 were wounded. Untold thousands of others suffer with the invisible wounds of war as we close this chapter in our Nations History. And all of those casualties alongside our allies and partners and we should never forget that 60,000 afghan National Security forces gave their lives in the conduct of this war. Our Counterterrorism Efforts In Afghanistan the region over 20 years has protected the american people from Terrorist Attack and the men and women and children who are just evacuated will ultimately be the legacy to prove the value of our sacrifice. For the past 20 years, there has not been a major attack on the homeland and it is now our mission to ensure that we continue our intelligence efforts, continue our Counterterrorism Efforts, continue our military efforts to protect the american people for the next 20 years and we in the american military are committed to do just that. For those of us in uniform who served In Afghanistan for our families who have suffered and sacrificed along our side, for those who have supported us, these have been incredibly emotional and trying days and, indeed, years. We are all conflicted with feelings of Pain And Anger, Sorrow And Sadness combined with pride and resilience. There are no words that i or the secretary or the President Or Anyone else will ever do to bring the dead back, but we can always honor them. And one thing i am certain of for any soldier, sailor, Airman Or Marine and their family, your service mattered and it was not in vain. Thank you. Okay. I think we have enough time for a few questions and well start with you, bob. Thank you, mr. Secretary. Looking ahead In Afghanistan, a question for both of you, please. Given the experience of the past couple of weeks at the Kabul Airport where u. S. Commanders were coordinating or at least communicating daily with taliban commanders to an effect that general mckenzie himself said at times was very helpful and general milley, in your case, last year you had facetoface meetings with taliban leaders at least on a couple occasions. I wonder what you think these experiences say about the prospect for a United States relationship with the taliban to include the possibility of any kind of coordination in Counterterrorism Operations against isisk In Afghanistan. Well, first of all, let me applaud the initiative of our commanders on the ground who would stop at nothing to accomplish the mission that they were provided of evacuating as many American Citizens, third country nationals as possible. We were focused on, we were working with taliban on a very narrow set of issues and it was just that. To get as many people out as we possibly could. And so i would not lead to, i would not make any leaps of logic to, you know, a broader, to broader issues. I would just say that, again, im immensely proud of what our troops have done to this point and its hard to predict where this will go in the future with respect to the taliban. And i would just say, bob, you know, secretary and i both serve In Afghanistan and many of us did and you all did, too. We dont know what the future of the taliban is. But i can tell you from personal experience that this is a ruthless group from the past and whether or not they change remains to be seen. And as far as our dealings with them at that airfield or in the past year or so in war, you do what you must in order to reduce risk to Mission And Force not what you necessarily want to do. Any possibility of coordination against isisk for them . Its possible. Going forward, bob, again, i would not want to make any predictions. I would tell you that were going to do everything that we can to make sure that we remain focused on isisk, understand that network and a time of our choosing in the future hold them accountable for what theyve done. Lets go to helene cooper. Thank you, sir, for doing this. I have a question for you and then another one for general milley. Mr. Secretary, perhaps its possible that theres no exit from afghanistan that would not have been chaotic given what we now know and for all the reasons that the administration has mentioned. But i would like to know now in hindsight, is there one thing that you wish that you or the pentagon had done, could have done differently . Thanks, helene. I would just tell you that there hasnt been a single operation that ive ever been involved in where we didnt discover that Theres Something that we could have done better or more efficiently or more effectively. And i would also say that no operation is ever perfect. I will tell you that we will do what we always do and that is to look at ourselves and do afteraction reviews and we want to make sure that we learn every lesson that can be learned from this experience. But i want to take the time to do it the right way. And, so, well do that in the days ahead. Do you think that oh, sorry. I was just going to say, i will just say again, helene, im enormously proud of our men and women who worked hard to accomplish what they just accomplished which i think, as i said earlier, is historic and heroic. Go ahead. Do you wish maybe you would have thrown out the book, i mean, the previous administration did leave, i understand, did put a lot of hurdles in the way of the Siv Program that this administration had to then deal with upon arrival. Do you think at all that because the pentagon worked so hard with these people for 20 years, these translators and interpreters that we should have thrown that whole book out . What i would say, helene, is that the Siv Program is obviously not designed to accommodate what we just did in evacuating over 100,000 people. And, so, perhaps this program should be looked at going forward. It is a it is a design to be a slow process. Secretary blinken and the State Department worked hard early on to shorten the timeline that it takes to work your way through that process. But, again, for the type of operation that we just conducted, i think, i think we need a different type of capability. For general milley, i wanted to ask you about sundays Drone Strike. Can you take us back to that morning. You have intel that isisk is plotting another attack. The military spots a vehicle that you believe is full of Carrying Explosives and we take this car out with a Drone Strike and reports now say that we may have, that ten civilians, as many as ten civilians may have been killed. Because of the urgent Threat Environment at the time, do preliminary assessments indicate that we may have rushed, relaxed or waived altogether all the checks and balances we do before a strike like that . Couple things. One is as we always do on all of these things we initiate an investigation. Were reviewing the video and all that. What do we know and dont know and what do we think sort of thing . At the time and i think this is still valid, we had very good intelligence that isisk was preparing a specific Type Vehicle at a specific type location. We monitored that through various means. And all of the Engagement Criteria being met. We went through the same level of rigor that we have for years and we took a strike. So that we did. Secondly is we know that there was secondary explosions. Because there was secondary explosions there is a reasonable conclusion to be made that there were explosives in that vehicle. The third is we know from a variety of other means that at least one of the people killed was an isis facilitator. So, were there others killed . Yes. There are others killed. Who they are, we dont know. Well try to sort through all that. But we believe that the procedures at this point, i dont want to influence the outcome of the investigation, but at this point we think the procedures were correctly followed. We have time for one more questiOn And well go to barb for that last question. Thank you, sir. The Messages Today from both of you, your messages of Compassion And Gratitude are certainly understood. In the last several days both of you at multiple times have issued these kinds of messages and statements. And what im curious about is what do you see in the country, with troops, with veterans that makes you feel, its a rare thing. That makes you feel these messages must continue and you have put out so many in the last few days. And general milley, i was very struck you used the word Pain And Anger and you understood that was out there as a Combat Veteran Yourself of afghanistan, can you help people understand that . Where does your Pain And Anger come from . If you could both answer your views on this. I will start by saying, barb, this is the longest war in our history. And, so, there have been a couple of generations that have participated in this war and as weve gone about, ive gotten input and reactions that are from all sides of this issue. And as i said in my opening statement, thats to be expected. And, of course, i respect that. And i think we have to provide ourselves the time and space to adequately deal with everything that our veterans have been through. And we will work through those issues. And the system will be there to support our veterans as we work through those issues. I just think, again, we need to respect each others views and be supportive of each other. And the one thing i would say, barb, is that people will process this differently. And for those that think they need help, please seek help. You know, were there for you. As you heard me say a number of times before, you know, Mental Health is health, period. And, so, this will take time for people to work their way through. There are varying opinions on each side of the aisle. And thats to be expected and respected. Can you a question for general milley. Barb, you ask me where my Pain And Anger comes from. Im sure the Secretary And Anyone who served. I commanded troops and i wasnt born a fourstar general. I have walked through patrols and everything else. My pain comes from the same as the grieving families. Last night i visited the wounded up at walter reed. This is tough stuff. War is hard. Its brutal and unforgiving. We all have Pain And Anger. When we see what has unfolded in the last 20 years and 20 days, that creates Pain And Anger. Mine comes from 242 of my soldiers killed in action in iraq and afghanistan. I have that. Im a professional soldier. Im going to contain my Pain And Anger and continue to execute my mission. Thanks. We have to go, guys. Secretary austin and general milley, both with an interesting tone. Tone of humility they want to take trying to keep it seems to me the Military Ranks as united as they possibly can. They only took a handful of questions wanting to side step, if you will, some of the more polarizing or perhaps more tensionfilled pieces of debate. So, back with me now, i got Mike Memoli and in a moment well have Courtney Kube back from the pentagon. Mike, i want to start with you because what was interesting to me was the dramatically different tone that Secretary Austin and general milley took from what the president did Yesterday Afternoon in his remarks. There were things that Secretary Austin and general milley said that i thought would have been nice to hear from the president , including a lot of mistakes were made over 20 years. Well learn from this and figure this out. It had more Humility Today than the president did, who seemed to be participating in a political, he wanted it sounded to me he was trying to participate in a political debate and maybe that was his intended audience, not the General Public at large. Well, first of all, chuck, based on the conversations i have been having here at the White House we should see Todays Event as part of a larger package that started with what we saw just a few days ago at the pentagon itself with Secretary Of State blinken that night and then the president yesterday. This is all sort of to the extent that they have been able to carefully chorograph any of the last 18 Days Part of how they have chosen to deal with this. I think youre right. What the president did was participate in a discussion that the president had Felt Unabled to engage in as he wanted to because they were in crisis mode. They were dealing with the constantly evolving situation on the ground for the most part so, yes, we heard from Jake Sullivan and we heard from Ron Klain Yesterday as well as they have a little bit more Band Width to participate in what in their view has been a largely onesided discussion against the blob, as it is often called here in washington in criticizing their decision. What i thought was so interesting from what we heard just there from the secretary and from The General is you talk about Side Stepping Questions and issues of tension. Really, the Core Question now is what is our relationship . Do we want a relationship with the afghan government moving forward . And the question of Counterterrorism Cooperation was one that we got slightly shades of different answers, maybe possible from, you know, from the chairman of the joint Chiefs Milley there and yeah, general milley seemed to be like, hey. He seemed to be very comfortable saying, yeah, we might. We might work with the taliban. Secretary austin didnt want to go out that far on that. I believe Courtney Kube is here. So, before i move over to The General and juan, im curious, courtney. You know this building so well and you covered it for decades now, that was an interesting posture the two of them took. Its so much different than what we saw from the president yesterday. And you tell me that felt like two leaders who were worried about, worried about their Rank And File getting demoralized. Worried about the Rank And File starting to get maybe politicized. Is that, am i reading too much into their tone . No, i absolutely agree, chuck. I was struck by the fact that both of them in their opening comments and then in the Question And Answer period, both of them talked about how these been very difficult and emotional days. Both men served In Afghanistan and Secretary Austin or general austin was the head of u. S. Central command, the overall commander of that entire region. So, they have a personal tie, personal ties to the war In Afghanistan. But a very real concern right now about the men and women who served In Afghanistan because of the tumulltuous last couple of weeks. Not just the picture of afghans trying to get out of the country the last couple days of the Evacuation Mission but the fact that 13 men and women were killed in that attack last week. This has been an emotional time for people who have dedicated lives and Blood And Treasure to the war In Afghanistan. We heard that from both of them here today. But also i was struck by the talk about the potential for the u. S. To work with the taliban. Specifically by something that general milley said. He said that in war you do what you must not necessarily what you want to do. That is very telling here. And its consistent with what i have been hearing from Defense Officials. There is a real sense of skepticism that this is a new and improved taliban. An enemy that the United States fought for two decades In Afghanistan. Despite the fact a very narrow window here where they worked with the u. S. And helped the u. S. On the ground there, i dont see a lot of people here who think there is going to be some enduring relationship with the taliban, even though they have this common enemy in isisk and afghanistan. Right. Well, we the iranians who were sort of helpful with isis, its not as if you dont have allies of convenience, i might call them. Courtney kube at the pentagon, thank you. Let me bring in juan and The General. Juan, i want to start with that specific issue. You know, its interesting. Were talking about whether wed work with the taliban to deal with isisk, we worked with the iranians to deal with isis. There are times you work with somebody who is mostly an adversary if you do have something in common. Thats been american Foreign Policy for decades, is it not . It is, chuck. I think in the Counterterrorism World you sometimes do have strange bed fellows. But the taliban really hasnt cut its ties with Al Qaeda and connections with the network that are deep and enduring a rival to isisk but ideologically aligned and you saw them grappling with this on the stage and the Intelligence Community is trying to grapple with what do we do next . What is the aftermath not only what is the nature of the taliban but how do we treat them now moving forward . Designated Terrorist Group by law, by u. S. , u. N. Sanctions. So that has to be contended with. And youve got the realities on the ground that this is a group that hasnt really changed its strikes. Certainly isnt welcoming of western liberalism and human rights. So, i think theres going to be challenges here and i think weve got to be careful that we dont create too many sort of clear binaries between one group or another. There is going to be a lot of Add Mixtures and the counterterrorism and the Defense Department will have to determine is the taliban an enemy or not and do we help those on the ground still trying to fight the taliban . These are some of the Aftermath Havent we worked with the taliban before but through pakistan . You know, hasnt there been times weve done it through an intermediary where the Intelligence Community needs to work with the pakistan Intelligence Community which is usually code for because theyre wired into the taliban. Yes. Obviously, with qatar, as well, the country in the gulf that has hosted the talks with the taliban in doha, absolutely. There has been communications. Certainly Hostage Situations and discussions and theres been discussions through the Hakani Network to move people and get people out. Obviously, to try to cooperate against isis if possible. Thats always been in the mix. But its not clear cut, chuck. The taliban is, you know, not really an ally and may see moments of convenience to work with us perhaps at the airport is a good example with evacuations, but its going to be a difficult question for the u. S. As to how to treat the taliban which has been an Enemy Force and been designated as a Terrorist Group and has alliances with groups that we technically are still fighting and want to prevent Terrorist Attacks from emanating from. I want to bring in General Hodges here. One of the reasons we wanted to have you on is youre doing something i had a hard time getting people to do. Policy planning, implementation in various form some part of the war In Afghanistan and ive asked various people and, juan, ill ask you in a moment. What did you get wrong . What did you miscalculate. In what theory were you wrong about . Most of the time, general, the answer is somebody else saying somebody else didnt do x. There has been people owning up to mistakes. You took it head on. Why are you in the minority . Well, chuck, thank you. You know, i believe that accepting responsibility is the first principle of leadership and i had bosses that did that and expected that. I was a general and everything from kandahar, helman and, you know, i completely bought in to the idea that afghan Security Forces that they could be effective and then eventually afghanistan would be able to stand on its own. The problem was that the model was built on a Western Model. The idea that we could make an army that looked like us or the brits or the germans or something like that and, of course, the Western Model is based on having overwhelming Fire Power and exquisite intelligence. When thats removed, then theyre not going to be effective. The best afghan unit i saw actually looked a whole lot like taliban and they had a u. S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Green Beret who was guiding them and with them and connecting them. So, i didnt believe what i was seeing with my own eyes that that was the way to go. I was very optimistic when i left afghanistan at The End of 2010 that this could work because i had seen such Quality Performance by afghan units. But that was always when they were with us. So, i think i was part of the problem there and then after that when i went to the joint staff, i was director of the Pakistan Coordination and supporting our chairman and we really believed, i mean, he worked personally so hard to make sure that pakistan was included in the strategy. I believe that pakistan was an ally. I diluted myself. They were not an ally. And i think in hindsight i should have been much more forceful at shining the light on the fact that pakistan is not an ally and theyre given Safe Haven to taliban despite the billions of dollars we were spending and, of course, Osama Bin Laden was killed living in his Big House Down The Street from the Military Academy in pakistan. Those were two areas where i think i personally misread it and im reluctant to point the finger at others. No, i understand that. General, do you think its more of, almost enrsha then by 2009, 2010, 2011 and it became a containment. All of our afghan decisions became a Containment Policy because nobody wanted to be the commander, the politician, however, whichever person we want to put here. No one wanted to be the one to say we were wrong. Well, i dont know. I dont know if i completely agree with that. When i got on an airplane in 2010 after being there, i seriously was optimistic. I thought, wow, i think this is going to work. But that was 11 years ago. So, obviously, i was wrong there. I think in the military there was a culture which is part of our strength that is, okay, i dont care how bad it is, ive been given a missiOn And were going to be successful. So, thats what we try to do to carry out the national strategic objective. But i think that also as i look at all of our Government Institutions not just in the department of defense, but in the department of state, other government agencies, there is a tendency to suppress, bury, kill assessments that are contrary to the prevailing narrative of any administration. The narrative was always going to be our way to get out of afghanistan to create Security Forces and governments so they can do it themself. So experts that said and youve seen all the reports that came out about corruption in the government and inefficiencies. We knew this but i think weve got to encourage and demand that the same thing opinions get sunlight and oxygen. Thats for sure. General hodges, really appreciate you coming On And sharing your perspective with us. Juan, im short on time but if you give me one thing you wish you had done differently or wrong In Afghanistan. Ill give you 30 seconds. Chuck, we made lots of mistakes. I know these jobs are hard and i think the idea that you can create a central government, central afghan Security Forces and not have a plan for sustainability long term i think was the big mistake. All sorts of other problems with corruption, not pushing pakistan further and other issues at play. But i think the design was wrong or at least faulty and we didnt have a plan or a political program to think about what an enduring presence could look like at an affordable level and in a way that manage risk. That was really the problem and im afraid were now facing withdrawal that looks like defeat. Well, both of you may become Guest Lecturers at War Colleges in the future when we study these 20 years. General hodges, again, juan zarate, thank you. We have a lot more about The End of this Military Mission and the future of afghanistan on the newest episode of the chuck todd cast. I have a 30minute Conversation with my good friend richard engel. Hes covered the withdrawal of two wars this century. We get into both of them and a little bit of world war history. Up next well head to louisiana where Hundreds Of Thousands still remain without power, adequate drinking water, sweltering temperatures. But there are some signs that the lights may be coming on in New Orleans. We were alone when my husband had the heart attack. Hes the most important thing in my life. Im so lucky to get him back. Your Heart Isnt just yours. Protect it with bayer aspirin. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. Age is just a number. And mines unlisted. Try boost® High Protein with 20 grams of protein for muscle health. Versus 16 grams in ensure High Protein. 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And get started with a great offer on fast and reliable Internet And Voice for just 64. 99 a month. Plus, ask how to get a prepaid card up to 500. Call or go online today to learn more. Comcast business. Powering possibilities. Welcome back. Louisiana is beginning down a road that looks to be a long one for recovery following hurricane ida. The whole communities were destroyed in the storm, and many areas under Water And Yesterday the Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards told the residents do not come back to your homes in no uncertain terms, and some dont have homes to come back. And there is still so many without power, and that means no refrigeration for food or hospitals and many of the areas that have been Hit Hard by covid have to use the backup generators for overcrowded patient care. Fema was able to evacuate some for less impacted hospitals, but even at capacity, there were few hospitals that had room to take the patients. Ellison barber is on the ground there in New Orleans, and there is a couple of things about New Orleans, and i would like a Nearterm Update on the power situation, but it is looking like big picture the levees held, and thinking about all of the investments made postkra trina, and we beat up the government for not get the job done sometimes burk maybe on this one, we may have figured it out in New Orleans at least, and we got through this storm. Yeah, they did not have massive flooding, but we have Hundreds Of Thousands of massive flooding and without power and this is one of the few places with ice, and these blocks, people are lining up all morning hoping to just get one of these blocks of ice. I can show you a little bit more here, and they are selling each of the blocks for 5 cash only, because nobody has any way to process anything other than cash, and because the power is out, not everybody has access to the cash, and the 5 a block, and they are limiting the amount to four blocks per person, and i wanted to give you a sense of what this line is like. You can look down here, and walk with us with the other camera, and see how far the line goes. Vi spoken to people who have been waiting and some of them close to two hours to get a little bit of ice, and some have been here close to 30, 40 minutes and one woman said she was waiting for ice and not just because it is hot and uncomfortable, but because she takes medicine that has to be refrigerated and any of the frozen Water Bottles to store the medicine, those have melted and she has nothing left, so she came here to sit in the heat, because she needs some sort of ice to take medicine and for her this is lifeordeath, and you mentioned the changes post Hurricane Katrina and the levees held. In the lower 9th ward, we spoke to people who experienced the Hurricane Katrina and now this, and they said, Hurricane Katrina is now worse, and one woman had six feet of water in the house, and they came back and they said it is not easy either, and it is going to take a while for anything to get close to normal, and listen to some of what we heard. And really, we cant afford the leave. It cost money. You have to have money for gas, lodging. The list goes On And on. We just couldnt afford it. Reporter the Energy Company says they have a few lights on in eastern New Orleans. I have not heard anything about it. I have a radio in there and i have been staying up on everything, and so far, i have heard they are here assessing damage. Reporter so the Energy Company says they have some lights on in eastern New Orleans, but for most people, it is going to take a while to see some relief, but as you see, this is a relief and not a repeat of katrina, but it is frustration of day four of a lot of people not having power, and there are so many big Ripple Effects to not having power, and it is a Heat Wave that is uncomfortable, but for a lot of people, it is not safe to be here in the heat, and they dont have anywhere else to go. Chuck. Ellison, has entergy given an update on the estimation . As you pointed out four days, and at this point, the assessing should be done. Right. So they said it could take up to three days to do the damage assessment, and what they could do for New Orleans is looking at the options, and the first option is to salvaging the powerlines that werent overly damaged. Remember some that a transmission, an entire transmission that collapsed tone the river, but some in New Orleans to tie them into the larger grid to make New Orleans an island and their own power grid. So they say that they are making some progress and gotten some lights on in eastern New Orleans, but it is a long way from normal or comfortable for most people. Ellison barber on the ground for u and ellison, thank you, and this is going to do it for us this hour, and we will back tomorrow with more Meet The Press Daily and our coverage on msnbc will continue with Geoff Bennett after this break. Safe drivers can save using snapshot . Whats snapshot . What the commercial was about. I tune commercials out. Me too. Theyre always like blah, blah blah. Tell me about it. 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