Elliot Ackerman on America's End in Afghanistan

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Foreign Policy, News, Military, Current Events, Politics, History, Intelligence, International Relations, National Security, Terrorism, International Law, Government, Law, Diplomacy, Constitutional Law, Rule Of Law

4.7 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 24 August 2022

⏱️ 36 minutes

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Summary

One year ago this month, the last American troops withdrew from Afghanistan, marking the end of a 20-year war. To reflect on those two decades, Lawfare managing editor Tyler McBrien sat down with Elliot Ackerman, author of the new book, “The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan.” They discussed Elliot's personal involvement in the struggle to get Afghan allies out of Kabul a year ago, as well as his time in Afghanistan, first as a Marine and then as a CIA officer. Drawing on firsthand experience, Elliot spoke about what it means to win or lose a war and some of the reasons why this war was a debacle for Americans and a tragedy for Afghans.

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1:28.8	Vietnam and it was a war of national liberation and we never understood that in Vietnam and so
1:33.6	we lost.
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1:40.6	sort of schism is we go into Afghanistan and Afghanistan for us is always it's all about
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