Kabul has fallen. It was the last city under control of the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani until he decided to flee before it was lost. And now we are left with the striking images of the Taliban inside the Presidential Palace he once occupied. Disturbing video, which now plays on a loop across the news media, shows desperate Afghanis clinging to a US military jet as it departs from Kabul. Shocking footage that has instantly become a stain on the Biden administration despite being something that three presidents before him wanted to do, remove our US troops. It seemed universally what everyone wanted, but apparently not how everyone thought it should have been done. Biden boldly defended himself and the move in a press conference while placing blame on others even after admitting that the Taliban takeover happened more quickly than expected. Where do we go from here as we rapidly approach the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. The optics are not good.

GUEST:

• Peter Bergen (@peterbergencnn), VP at New America, CNN National Security Analyst, Prof. Arizona State, author, documentary producer.

HOSTS:

RESOURCES:

Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod

Listen and subscribe to "Skullduggery" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Email us with feedback, questions or tips: [email protected].

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.