[000:00:00;00] ah ah, hello, i'm marianna murphy in london. our main story this ours, the conflict and i've got to stop with the taliban offensive sweeping further through the country with the group gradually and circling, cobble. they have now seized the city for an alarm, and logo province just 50 kilometers from the capital. for the south highlights the main fizzy and zabel province has also fall into the taliban. earlier to major cities fell to the group last regard and kandahar the taliban birthplace. and the key trade port,

charlotte balice has been following developments from cobble and now the 2 provincial capitals today, poly alum provincial capital of logo is just to the self of of carbo about an hour drive from cobble about 65 kilometers. so now they are knocking right on the door of cobbled the telephone, say that the governor actually joined them. how we understand it is that they sent hundreds of spices into the city and this actually, his compound was stormed and he was forced to surrender. it is significant because it is gone, is harm province and also because it is just so close to the capital. now, it is not the only place that cloud today collapsed, which is the proven to capital valvo that just in the last few hours, we've seen the video of the vaudeville governor being escorted by the telephone out of town. very shortly after that, the taliban took over and claimed it as the 18th provincial capital. to put this

into context for you, there's only 34 provinces in the country, so they now have control of more than half the provincial capitals. they hadn't had control of one in about 5 years and managed to do this all within a week. they've picked up in the last 24 hours, 7 provincial capital. and that includes the 2nd and 3rd biggest cities in afghanistan, kandahar city in the south, which is the herat and the west, and also let chicago and home and so they own a roar. hello bon contact this morning. who said, even they shot at how quickly they are taking control. will view answers now is the time to avoid a prolonged civil war in the country while agencies a warning of a humanitarian catastrophe. a taliban is offensive is driving thousands of people from their homes. more than 250000 people have been displaced since may 80 percent of them women and children, and more than half the population on now living below the poverty line. many people displaced by the violence of thought,

refuge in consul on this out and they got on us much people for many provinces have been displaced due to war. and i have come to cobb bow and taken shelters and living at public parks and roadsides everywhere and can stand the situation is no worse. if it continues like this, the taliban will come to cobble too. but all the guns one is an end to the war and they want peace terror guy to quote that out to say that it may be, they will come to kabul to it's possible. so we are very concerned in this case, many provinces fell back to back. we don't know what is going on. you know, the headlines, the u. n. is calling for fundamental changes and how countries deal with wildfires focusing on prevention rather than fire fighting play. there's a sweeping across here at north america in north africa, while temperatures reach record levels. the un is calling for tough new international laws, including mandatory fire breaks and the regulation of outdoor fires. and extreme heat wave is expected to spain over the next few days. the state mutual logical

agency predicts temperatures will reach 47 degrees celsius. more than 40 provinces throughout the country are on official alert authority to expand the state of emergency and marshes. coldest and largest region. as more than 100 wildfires in gulf, the area is 124 as 5 burning across 14000 square kilometers. several villages in the siberian region have been evacuated. ruskie was in northern turkey, searching for survivors after flooding and mud slides killed at least 31 people as many as 300 also reportedly missing in the provinces on the black sea, with water in some places, rising by 4 meters mill rushers reported 815 deaths from covey 19 over the past 24 hours, but the capital moscow is still lifting some restrictions with the mail saying there's no longer major pressure on hospital beds. at least a 168000 people have died from the virus in russia. a bottom line is coming.

i me, i am steve clements. i have a question. after almost 20 years america is leaving afghanistan. but what is it leaving behind? let's get to the bottom line. ah. in the heat of the moment after the attacks of 911, the united states declared war an afghan, a stand in 2001. the media goal was to find out kite up, but the long term goals were lofty and i quote, to create a sovereign democratic afghanistan, that's at peace with itself. while 2 decades later, with countless lives lost and more than a trillion dollars spent, it really doesn't look like any of those things are likely. the taliban, whom the u. s. has been fighting the entire time is poised to take over most of the country city by city. the government that washington is propped up in the military

that it trained could be gone with the wind in the short term. as for sovereignty, different actors are pushing afghanistan this way and that, and that includes india, pakistan, china, iran, and of course the united states. so for a poor country that's been at war for more than 40 years, just how likely is there ever to be in afghanistan, that is at peace with itself and its neighbors. and is america leaving it in better shape than it found it. fortunately, were joined by people who have all the answers. andrew base of a professor emeritus at boston university, retired colonel in the u. s. army and author of america's war for the greater middle east. he's also the co founder and president that the quincy institute for responsible stay crap. and joining me here in the studio is hashem. why not? you are a writer, an analyst on international affairs and former spokesman for the united nations in afghanistan. let's start with a clip from pentagon spokesman john kirby. it's their country to defend. now, this is their struggle. the commander in chief has given us a new mission and that mission is to draw down by the end of this month. and that's

where we're moving to what it looks like. beyond that, i'm simply not going to speculate, but this is their country. these are their, these are their military forces. these are their provincial capitals. they're people to defend and, and it's really going to come down to the leadership that they're willing to exude here at this particular moment. professor base of which let me start with you. i remember reading your work and writing and concerns about not only the iraq war and the fantasy and more of it as well as the yes and we're for a very long period of time. now we seem to be the punctuation point where this is coming to a close. do you feel satisfied that america should be leaving with it's held up high or did we make very big mistakes in getting as involved as we did? so that mistakes are, are ghastly. sadly, the people about ghana stand are going to pay the price the, the project that you described,

the nation building project. i think was misguided from the outset. and i think that the president biden's decision to terminate the american war doesn't imply american involvement, but to terminate the american war. and if can stand was long overdue. hi jim. i know that you have a perspective that right now that america came in with the promises that it made to the afghan people that it tried to set things on a different course. how do you feel at this moment of american departure? are we, are we culpable with what is unfolding now in the country as we see city after city fall to the taliban? thank you very much. yes, the united states had clear definitions and objectives when it invented up kind of soon after 911. but unfortunately, it also for the number of mistakes that this can be made in comes on not only the united states, but international community, the united states,

out the taliban in afghanistan, but did not address the safe havens. and the sang trees in pakistan who provided equipments and claim the todd. not only that out of the 20, at a terrorist groups who are backed by the paxton in test topless meant and out been kind of stand and post threats to the governance, to the security, to the democracy, enter the lives of all kind of sent, but also pull straight to the international community and be $33000000000.00 at the united states, paid to the government of pakistan. and in return, what the hell, what the united states spoke, the and as it took like unfortunately 2000 we had in americans were celtic enough kind of stand by the high county network, funded and supported by the pakistan is published. but there's not something that we say, but that is something that the government of pakistan, the former and current leaders of pakistan confirmed that they train how paid that they supported the taliban. and that is what being at the back. and he did not

belong to the admins, but also to the united states. now, unfortunately, they not in the states signed a deal with the taliban, but that was not a piece deal. right? that was a, with the rollo deal with the, with the taliban. but this was a puzzle of a nation that was hardly a country because of the divisions with proxy conflicts that on top, what would have been the approach you would've advised after 911 to get this right? well, let me add one footnote to what hush him said in terms of enumerating our airs. a crucial one is it before the job was done in afghan to stand. however, we defined the job. the bush administration decided it was a great idea to invade iraq in 2003 and embark upon an even more ambitious nation building exercise in an, in an equally divided country about which again,

we understood very little. so we can't forget the enormity of the error of the iraq war. what should we have done? i think what we should have done, i think i think it was necessary. and i think most people agreed that it was necessary for us to do demonstrate that any entity government that provided a safe haven to terrorist attempt on attacking the united states. that that government was going to pay a very, very heavy price. and there are 4. yes, post 911. it was necessary to punish the taliban. i think where, where, where we made a mistake was having imposed that punishment. then embarking upon the grandiose nation building exercise that we have been pursuing. i think it would have been far wiser. in the,

in the aftermath of over throwing the taliban to allow afghans to negotiate some type of settlement. however, tentative, perhaps temporary, and then get out of the way. so we've got admiral kirby announcing that the future of afghan is dan, belongs to the afghans. true enough, but if it was true today, it was also true in 2001 in 2002. and we should have appreciated that way back then almost 20 years ago. right. well, part of that reality, how should we just laid out, is that the future of afghanistan also rest of pakistan? also, rex with india also wraps with other powers in the country. how should we approach the dynamics of those conflict? what is your recommendation when it comes to thinking about the, you know, we've got iran, you've got, you've got pack, senior india, china, you know, and afghans and stuck in a vice in the middle of them. what, what should be done?

well, actually let's have a clear distinction. when is the issue of granite? then, of course, that is the responsibility of the outcomes that they have to take care about it. but the other thing is the fighting against the global terrorism, right? the government is not fighting only the taliban when the college and there are number of international terrorist groups. it's not only about the canister, but that is a way that will be post and that is posted into national community in florida. and also to, to the region elite was the issue of atkins. the evidence would have taken care of it on, and it should take care about the issues with enough, but, but it is about the global heart. it's about the global terrorism in i've got to now now that the united states signed with that, all dealer with the taliban. after that, the government and the i've gotten kind of stuff is in transition from fighting terrorism to does have to be

a center of global jihadists against the west. i guess the europe and i guess the world and that is something worrying and that should not be the responsibility. relied on the shoulders of the i've been people and i've been government and i've been sick. so you worry that this circle of history is going to repeat itself. it's actually that is the case. but what do we need to highlight here is that the united states, i think that is repeating mistakes and that mistake is the force of the patients with it. all while without proper coordination with the african government to hand over the air and ground responsibility. because the i've, the government thought that the united states has been since since 2011. but it's with robbing, but it's when it's not with w, but they're returning back to i've got this done. this was a suspicious with it all. well, an article, certainly this, this is something that you like the war now and has had we are now whether you not should have that. and also another very important point that i have to mention the

international community pressed and force the government to release 5000 to ton of all the factors. and with those 5000 part of the release. and they are seeing a number 9 product provincial competence and had we are so in that into hush him. yes, go ahead. touch him. my question relates to the regional situation. i myself don't agree that the us withdrawal has been precipitous. withdraw is what you do when you fail. we have failed. but i'm interested in your thoughts on the regional context. that is to say, it seems to me, i'm not an expert here that the neighbors pakistan, iran, russia, china, do have a common interest in trying to ensure that as the united states withdraws, afghanistan doesn't descend into absolute absolute chaos. what are the prospects of the united states?

encouraging working with incentivizing the neighbors of afghan to stant, to, to collaborate right. however, modestly in ensuring some semblance of stability in afghanistan, after the u. s. military has gone. thank you and that's a great question. the region number one, it does not have a consensus about, i was honest, the number to the countries of the region. they are in dilemma. first, like iran, russia a little bit china, they were trying to get the united states out of kind of son gets the united states basis out of understand because processors, especially the iran dealer feeling threat from the u. s. bases in i've kind of said that they didn't want to have it apart from having us basis or be iraq. and i don't

countries of the middle east now. iran, whether i, china and pakistan. these we who like a threat from the tolerant, if they take over because tal about having an excellent elective, a tight relationship with the islamic, could groups on tarka st on. he's standing up quite often and the, those groups targeted 8 chinese, ingenious in pakistan. and it's also being seen that they have hi, how are you, aren't you now identifying a common interest of the afghan stanz neighbors that can provide a basis for them to collaborate in minimizing the negative consequences of the american failure. but let me, let me kind of take it one step further. you know, one of the parts of the mission they've got morphed into the reaction after 911 was the, was the democracy project was raising the aspirations of people telling them that we were going to modernize the country. i remember richard holbrooke working to

look on you know, how you change the kinds of products in agriculture that you had in the country to try to build a very different form of commerce in the nation. i heard david betray us, had captains that were acting like mayor, as throughout the country. we saw women, many of whom i know who were educated and promised, and given a very different different element. and i guess my question to both of you, which is, which is another element of this question is, is, isn't disingenuous of the united states, you know, to go into place like this and talk about democracy, raise the aspiration of the people and say, you can have better because we seem to be walking away from that professor base of it. well, i mean, it's a version of imperialism. this was an imperial project. it, it, it began on the assumption that afghans need our help. the afghans are incapable of governing their own country. and so here come the

americans with democracy and market economics and technology and human rights that we presumed we could bestow on these on this backward people and forgive me for using that term. but i think that was implicit in the attitude of the americans and their coalition partners, as they embarked upon this project. and that project has, has, has failed. there is simply no question about it, and that's why it seems to me that the time has come to terminate the war. which to emphasize does not end american responsibility for, for our failure. there is a profound moral responsibility that continues to exist. and i think that the again,

forgive me somewhat half hearted effort to allow afghans who worked with the americans to, to leave afghanistan, is utterly inadequate. we need to do more on that front. and quite frankly, we to the extent that we're about to see or are seeing a massive refugee crisis, similar to the refugee crisis that existed during the years of, of soviet up occupation. right there to, there is a requirement for the united states to step up. and do what is right, how she and i'd like to ask you the same question about the ordinary afghan citizen that look at the united states as delivering something different modernity, civil rights, social justice at all of that they came by way of education and broadening themselves which today is put

a mark on their back in some of the cities. what are america's responsibilities and europe's responsibilities right now to those people that we had promised a different life? what look, the government has led to the strategic agreements with united states. one is a political strategic agreement with united states and the, this is the security agreement with the united states. of course, the advent will be looking to even thing because it has gone through several worse for the past 40 years and the in the quiet and need like indication democracy technology help. and some of the things that requires because it has gone through a number of similar works and unfortunately it's coming again. but we need to prioritize the per, yerkes ok both for the i've been government all over the national community also for the united states. now the per year is fighting terrorism, not going to bring stability to the athens to make sure that the outcomes live insecurity. and to make sure that there's no threat from a kind of needed to the region nor to the north, and also not to the, the international community in,

in enlarge. and that is the area that entire world is felt. now it's not only the united states and the government because the united states intervening with understand with the international partners and kind of but it's better to sponsor, but it does not rely only on the united states. shoulders. of course, the 911 happening united states that there are 30 a member states of the need to force it. what needs to happen. that is important. what should happen next? well, yes, percentage about an amount due to he will withdraw from i've got to stand and this is the responsibility on the absence, shoulders and also to the country of the region. yes. countries of the region, but there's no consensus among them. we just the, all the threat from i've got to stand, they all do not want to have a child in a lot of them, not people in a sense, but that is coming in because there are internal adversary's. what are the reasons like india and china? so the iran and a number of other countries, but now these countries feel that there will be a void in kind of right. there is

a big problem. not only put up on center for the reason for number of years the, the russians and chinese and the vendors, they would think that they'd have to shut it up on that. but now they know the message is not with the right because this is a risk. it's not responsible with all the irresponsible with our phone because the feel reagan from a lot of stuff. you know, i can, i can see that point of view and the other hand, i'm bring professor base of it back into this because another dimension of this that i think often doesn't get discussed is how other big geopolitical rivals of the united states looked at this you know, i might, i'll say china for a moment where china, i've been to try and talk to chinese leaders a lot. and they were very happy to have the united states very dragged down and saw american power somewhat contained in china spending to trillion dollars and not getting much for it in afghanistan was just fine by china. and so i'm just sort of interested in whether or not this inflection point where we're talking about different levels you're talking about terrorism, which i understand hush him. we're also talking about the african people what they

were promised and had hopes up. but there is another geostrategic dimension about america's place in the world and what it can do now. and i guess the question i have is america is, is it more able now to impact global affairs in a positive way by not being so bogged down in afghanistan, so to speak, professor base of it? well, the international agenda is pretty crowded right now. i mean, the potential collapse of the government in kabul. a big deal is only one concern. a climate change would be another big deal that poses a threat to, to all of us. it seems to me that we, if we are in an inflection point, it's an inflection point that points to a,

an imperative of creative diplomacy. we don't even have diplomatic relations with iran. and yet iran certainly inherits the catastrophe. one of the countries didn't hurt the catastrophe of us policy and afghan is dan. we need to be engaging with iran. pakistan, however difficult that may be the other countries in the region. they may, up to this point, have not understood that they have a common interest in collaborating to prevent anarchy from prevailing in afghanistan. they should see that now that i think they should be encouraged. again, it's a diplomatic issue, not a military one. they should be encouraged to find ways to, to collaborate and we'd be willing to participate in an effort, not in terms of military action, but in terms of other action to address the consequences of our failure. harsh, thank you that hash him in our last minute or so,

i'd love to get essentially some strategic counsel from you as well. i don't know what's going to unfold in afghanistan, what's going to unfold and couple, and if you were to be honest right now, things don't look good. but as you sort of look ahead and given what you just talked about, which was a, the threat of a glow, a new global empowered turbo charged, you know, terror network emanating from, from this country. what is your advice, you know, given where things are where out of afghanistan is going to have, what is your advice now? well, number one, well, in international relations, like when one country intervene in another country, a lot of positive things and also with, with a good heart, some adversary's and pulls around the feel like they have some other agile does. so what needs to happen? you know, kind of standards is that there should be a common common function to drawn together with other actors of the regional actors and international to get that look, that is a threat. there will be

a lot of fun and that it will not be only for outcomes. it will also not only be with the united states, this will be for the region and part of the words. so let's come together and address the challenges. that's number one. number 2, pakistan, pakistan is playing, actors understand and the international communities to address these challenges in pakistan to make sure that that is not expanded. $1200000.00 and part of the world . number 3. yes, the united states intervening upon us not only for the safety of the kind of sun, but the safety and security of the world. do you think that now there is no threats from up into the words? if opposite it is there, the level of the threats now and it is much more higher than it was in 2001. and so the telling awful summer a lot of the not bringing any things. so the right legacy of the legacy. an ideology of terrorism, and i want to, well, thank you for that. andrew bass of its president of the quincy institute for responsible stay craft. and how she me, what are you are afghanistan analysts, you're in washington,

d. c. thanks to both of you for being with us today. so what's the bottom line? 20 years ago, america had no choice but to attack those who attacked that on 911. but war is complicated, and in afghanistan, the united states and its partners raised expectations really high for the people there. they spoke of a democratic future without solving any of the underlying tensions that the nation faces, especially the ethnic divide and also the proxy war between india and pakistan. so now afghan sand is just as divided as ever. half of the people prefer the taliban and hope they take over soon. the other half of course, don't want to live under taliban rule, but last time the taliban government didn't have much support and recognition for many countries. it was isolated. this time, beige ng and others, and maybe even washington may be okay with what's unfolding. and after all this, it doesn't look like america has really learned the main lesson, which is to stop over promising and under delivery. and that's the bottom line.

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limit, i view myself as a capital artist. we are trying to bake the world mother and father. we don't want to be so realistic in the well, we would rather have a fantasy growing pains on al jazeera. ah, the ah oh mary, i'm was in london. our main story this our taliban offensive is sweeping further through afghanistan with the group gradually encircling combo they fees. this is your full alarm in logan province. just 50 kilometers from the capitol. earlier to major cities fell to the group. last gar and kandahar the taliban birthplace and a key trade port. charlotte palace has more from cobble i know the 2 provincial