Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:36 pm
Former Amb. Douglas Lute explained that the United States could give the Afghanistan military everything except the will to fight.
Video:
Amb. Douglas Lute explains that the US could give the Afghanistan military everything, except the will to fight. Lute said, "I think it is that moral part of the equation that we have seen break down very rapidly in the last several days." pic.twitter.com/7o2OSel4Gc
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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 15, 2021
Ambassador Lute said on MSNBC, “Outside force like ours over the last 20 years in Afghanistan can deliver hardware. We can deliver tangible goods. We can train them. We can field the forces. We can provide salaries, provide supplies, and so forth. We can do the physical part. But moral part, leadership, discipline, legitimacy have to be organically authentically Afghan. I think it is that moral part of the equation that we have seen break down very rapidly in the last several days. This is something that America from outside cannot provide Afghanistan.”
Republican Critics Of Biden’s Decision Ignore That The Afghan Military Did Not Want To Fight.
The Afghan government’s collapse had nothing to do with the Biden administration’s effort. The government in Afghanistan collapsed because the US-trained and supported military did not want to fight.
The other option if the Afghan military won’t fight is for the US to do the fighting for them, which is what people like Rep. Liz Cheney have been suggesting, but why put American sons and daughters in harm’s way for a nation that does not want to fight for its own democracy?
Over and over again, President Biden is being proven right about Afghanistan.Â
The Afghan military did not want to fight the Taliban, and Biden wasn’t going to sacrifice more US troops to do the fighting for them.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
