yamiche: ending war abroad and battling crises at home. >> we succeeded in what we set out to do in afghanistan over a decade ago. it was time to end this war. yamiche: president biden ends america's longest war. >> there should be accountability for what i -- what i see as probably the biggest failure in american government on a military stage in my life thyme. yamiche: but he faces fierce criticism from the chaotic withdrawal from afghanistan and from the american and afghan allies left behind the president also faces growing domestic challenges >> it's completely unconscienable. >> the supreme court refuse toss block a texas abortion law that is the most restrictive since

roe v. wade. plus, in the south and east, deadly storms appeared flooding this much the west, devastating fires and the delta variant rages on, next. announcer: this is "waington week." corporate funding is provided b- >> for 25 years consumer cellular's gold is to help provide wireless service that helps people communicate and connect we offer plans appeared our u.s. service team can find one that helps you. to learn more visit consumer cellular . tv. >> additional funding is provided by the estate of arnold adams. koo and patricia yuen. sara and carl delay magneson the corporation for public broadcasting and contribution

toss your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you once again from washington, moderator yamiche alcindor. yamiche: welcome to "washington week." i'm yamiche alcindor president biden has been in office for 266 days. this wk wassity mull wows and heartbreaking. today marked the end of 20 -- monday marked the end of 20 years of the u.s. military presence there and decades of bloodshed. still president biden face tough questions about when and how he chose to pull people out. mitch mcconnell is blasting hip. >> this was a disguiseful and disastrous departure. two weeks ago president biden specifically promised that he wouldn't pull out before every american whoa wanted out had gotten out. by their own admission, the

biden administration is now broken that promise. yamiche: on tuesday, the president forcefully dended his decisions. >> there is no evacuation -- evacuation from the end of a war that you can run without the kinds of complexities, challenges and threats we face, none. i give my word with all of my heart, i believe this is the right decision, a wise decision. and the best decision for america. yamiche: we will also have the latest over the battle over abortion rights in texas and across the country. and there is of course, the critical issue of climate change and intensifying extreme weather events in the south and east dozens of people are dea in the wake of hurricane ida and wildfires in the west are living a trail of destruction how are the leaders going to be

addressing all all of these changes at home and abroad? joining us to open up their notebooks is craig whitlock investigator rotor of "the washington post," and joining me at the table courtney kube, pentagon continuer for north bounds news. anita kumar white house continuer and associate editor for politico. and susan page washington bureau chief for "usa today." thank you all for being here craig, you are viewed more than tow 10,000 pages of documents you interviewed some 1,000 people about the war in afghanistan what did your rotterring reveal about how this came to an end in this way and what is the secret behind this war? craig: well, the secret is that for most of the last 20 years, u.s. officials under three bush and obama and trump kept telling the american people that they

were making progress in the war in afghanistan they always gave these very optimistic rotters on how their war strategy was going but in private in interview that is we obtain forked afghanistan papers and the book that was just published, they told me the entirely different story about how they didn't have faith in their wars strategy and they saw this as an unwithinnable conflict that they were trying to figure out how to end it. the complete opposite of what they were telling the american people. yamiche: and craig, president biden said that there should be lessons learned from the united states about the -- from the war in afghanistan. what did your rotterring tell you that the taliban was able to move in and take control so quickly? craig: i think the united states never understood afghanistan people would cycle in and out

for six months, nine month, a year. so very few u.s. officials spoke the language or understood the culture this. became apparent in recent weeks when the biden administration had said that the u.s. military withdrawal would be pretty orderly and there wouldn't be a saigon moment. he said that in july where we would be evacuating people off the roof like we had do in vietnam in 1975. clearly the images weave seen from kabul show that, you know, biden was completely wrong about that and they hadn't anticipated that the taliban might sweep through the whole country, seize all these provincial capitals and walz in kabul the biden administration put too much faith in the afghan army and police forces they thought they could hold them off for a few months if not longer. but despite the billions of dollars we spent to prop up that government, they collapsed very

suddenfully just a matter of days. yamiche: and your nodding your head here, courtney. we left about 200 americans behind. how do we get those people out? and is the corporation with the taliban going to be part of that? courtney: there's no way that the talan won't have some role in getting these americans out appeared any afghans that are hoping to get out people who are at high risk in afghanistan right now. the question is, what will the u.s. do? the most likely way right now is going to be working through intermediaries, the the qataris most likely. they've been helping the united states diplomacy. the u.s. will have to look at what leverage they have over afghanistan. the taliban are going quickly learn if they don't know already if their going to run that country, their going to have to rely on foreign money that reece the u.s. has some leverage there's a lot of money that the u.s. has that is frozen, taliban

money most likely that's going to come into play if the u.s. wts to get these americans and afghans out the reality is though what the taliban has been doing with the u.s. military on the ground has ban bit of a confidents building measure that being said the defense officials do not think that it's going to lead to a larger military to military relationship. but the fact that they've been able to hold -- yup hold their end of a bargain with what they've done helping to facilitate americans getting into the airport in the last couple of weeks that has build a little bit oh confidents that perhaps they can get more americans out. yamiche: it's such an interesting way to look at the dynamics in play i want to talk about the human cost of the war it was agonizing. 2600 american forces were killed. and 115,000 afghans were killed the war cost $2.3 trillion. on wednesday, general mark mille

y chairman of the joint chiefs of staff spoke to the troops >> we are all conflicted with feelings of pain and anger, sorrow and sadness combined with pride and resilience. and for any soldier, airmen or marine and their family, your service mattered and was not in vain. yamiche: was not in vain. courtney what, are you hearing from military sources about how their processing this -- processing this the war that cost so much? courtney: there was a real mental concern it was a difficult conflict there were many dark days among service members there was a veteran community that was processing that. but what has happened has taken the to a new level. there are a lot of veterans appeared active duty who served there, who have been watching these men who served next to them interpreters translator who

is they consider their brother ins arms being oh begging them for help. and in many cases they weren't able to get them out. there's been this tremendous really unbelievable veteran network that have risen out. they've gotten thousands of people -- thousands of people out. someone i spoke to said to me, where's the honor in how this all unfolded? howdied we live these people behind? and that is a going to have a long-term impact. you mentioned the cost of the war. that doesn't even factor in the continuing years, decades of medical care for the service member who is serve there mental health, medical care but also the physical care that it will take to of these men and women. but there is a real concern about the coming months because of what's happened -- what the men and women who served there have watched unfold over the last couple of oh weeks it's not about the u.s. getting t. it's not that. you can say what you want there, there are a lot of opinions on

that. but it's the way that it happen appeared it's the people who were left behind yamiche: and anita, i want to continue because i'm wondering what are the -- what are the political ramifications of this for president biden? i spoke to veterans, i'm embarrassed, hurt the way this played out. but the american people have a short memory, frankly they think they can get through this without being here. anita: democrats are counting on that , right? generalfully the last decade or so foreign issues haven't been the number one issue in elections. so their hoping for that. you know, only a couple of months ago when you looked at the poles -- most americans supported president biden and they'd wanted to get out out of afghanistan their faulting him for the exact way that we did get out of afghanistan he could have had a win here because obviously it was a war he could have done something that most americans wanted. but instead what your seeing is

republicans and democrats criticize him and it's not good. what your going to see him do now is try to pivot back to his domestic agenda and try to really work on these spending plans that he's push toking get a win here in congress. susan: he delivered on a promise that trump and obama failed on. that's why their willing to make this calculation tt americans will remember that he got them out of this war that people didn't like. it depends in part of what happens to afghanistan? does it become an area for terrorists? does the taliban live up to its promises to treat women and girls in afghanistan with higher regard than they did in the past? that will determine i think what americans are thinking about when they think about the issue of afghanistan. yamiche: and what susan is talk about is exactly, craig, what i was going to koo you about? what is next. how does afghanistan factor into

that? craig: it's a good question. courtney allude toed this earlier about how the u.s. military and the taliban sort of have a working relationship that the point that's on one level but one thing where both sides have a mutual interest is on counterterrorism with regards to the group islamic state in afghanistan often known as isis k they see the taliban as kind of moderate on issues so their very hostile toward each other and in the past couple of years, the united states has sort of try toed help the taliban take action against islamic state for a number of years, u.s. military was conduct ago lot overstrikes against them. so they -- both sides have an interest about doing something about islamic state. you may remember that william burns met with the top taliban leadership. they didn't discuss exactly what they talked about but almost certainly it had to do with ways

they might be able to corporate against islamic state. i think going forward we may see that happen quite a bit. yamiche: well, there's a lot to talk about. thankou so much craig for joining us tonight. now, let's turn to mass challenges on wednesday, the supreme court refuse toed block a new texas law that bans abortions after cardiac activity is detected which is usually at six weeks t. law also as -- allows anyone who sue someone who performed an abortion after that. jen psaki pushed back on a male rotter what who questioned that the president as a catholic supports abortion rights >> he believes that it's up do a woman to make those decisions and up to a woman to make those decision withs a doctor. i know you've never faced those choices nor have you ever been pregnant but for women out there there's an incredibly difficult thing. >> that was quite a moment. that was quite a moment at -- there at the white house briefing. susan, i want to come to you

explain the implications of this law especially because there's this $10,000 reward where people can get p and there are some news tonight about what the courts are doing. susan: a district court judge in travis county texas has issue as temporary restraining order against texas right to life in suing planned parenthood clinic there is to enforce the law but this is round two in a 100-round fight that we're going to have both in the courts and elsewhere. this texas law is designed to be hard to challenge in the courts and that's the reason that the five supreme court justice who is refuse to enjoin the -- the law from going into effect gave as their reason for making that decision. it is basically outlawed abortion in our nation's second largest state and it has provided a road map for other states that want to restrict abortion about how they might go ahead and in doing this this is the biggest threat to abortion rights weave seen since

1973 when the roe v. wade decision was first made. yamiche: and women of color in particular when you think about as susan said the biggest athlete threat since roe v. wade will be impacted with this. women who don't have the money to go to another state. talk about the implications for the most vulnerable among us? anita: yeah, it's women of color your also seeing young women, teens and women that live in rural communities you know, people forget how big texas is. to get to a clinic or a facility, you have to drive miles and miles and miles, hundreds of miles in some cases and what your seeing there this week is that women are not realizing how far along they are. some of them don't realize their pregnant. and so what's happening is their calling up -- we're wait inning line hours to go into a clinic on the day that this law -- the day before the law went into effect what their trying to figure out now is where can they go? how can they do this?

yamiche: and now what are democrats going to do? anita: we don't really know what their going to do it's a big question mark. many people thought that the supreme court would hold off on this and let this go through the courts that didn't happen. so now the question is what does happen next as susan alluded we're going to see even more of these refrictions -- restrictions copying this law firm weave seen 90 rheostrictions on abortion as people are looking towards the supreme court and thinking their going keep these laws intact. yamiche: when their look at that time supreme courters we're seeing some states my native state of flex san diego and arkansas officials saying that their going to have copycat laws i wonder when conservatives are talk about having personal freedoms and not being wanting to be mandated we want to have laws to control your body. how do they reconcile those two positions?

what are you hearing from conservatives? how do they get around those two issues? susan: they believe that life begins at moment of conception. they would begin that way but it's a good point. and this is -- this is really president trump delivering on a campaign promise that helped him get elected, right? he solidified support among white evangelicals in part that he would make the supreme court appeared they would restrict abortion in new ways and that is what seems to be happening weave got three appointments two of them replacing justice who is supported abortion rights and weave got the supreme court taking up this case from louisiana which deals with much greater restrictions on abortion that had been allowed before and we'll see if their going to overturn roe v. wade or allow much more encroachment on the guarantees that roe v. wade gave women back those decades ago

yamiche: it needs to be shade that we're not sure what's going to happen because as we're trying to answer the question of what democrats might do, they don't know if their going to be able to pass anything in the house or the senate. it seems like a hard road ahead. susan: i don't think there's anyone who beliefs this congress that is so divided with these thin, you know, razor-thin democratic majorities could possibly passomething so then the question is what do you do? president biden has faced this on other issues including voting rights that state these republican legislatures are acting so then what can he do? it's the same thing he's faced a couple of times he's in a box because there's not a whole lot he can do. what he can do is get democrats or people that don't support these restrictions elect inned state legislatures across the country in these vegetate it's something when he was vice president president obama was criticized for that all these legislatures turned, all these democratic legislatures went republican and it was a big

chris schism of president obama yamiche: and it was a long-term goal of onserve actives their starting to see a lieutenant -- lot of their work consequences play out as fires rage, hurricane ida devastated from louisiana to as far north as maine. senator majority leader chuck shimmer call -- chuck shimmer called for action >> when you get two record rain females in a week it's not just coincidence that's why it's so imperative to pass thewo bills, the infrastructure bill and the budget reconciliation bill yamiche: you hear chuck schumer saying that this is a national security issue. i want to bring you back in. what y do hear from your sources about the issue of climate change and the threat that it could have to our

national security and to america? >> when secretary austin came in, he said that was going to be one of his priorities to focus on the impact of climate change people may say oh, come on, that's not a real concern on a practical level, you have bases that are based right along the coast and they have their beaches are eroding you have rising temperatures that makes it more dangerous for men and women to train in the warm temperatures. so there are very real implications on a day-to-day basis of climate change and as chuck was saying there, the science behind it is the more that the tperature is warming the more potential there are for these very dangerous and difficult storms that pop-up like what happened in new jersey and new york, you know the deluge of water that comes in a very quick manner. s the a national security concern t. pentagon actually put out a rotter about it. it's not just the impact they would have on the day-to-day basis.

it has the potential to bring troops into other areas so when you have something like the more warmer temperature that is may cause population toss move. it may cause water to dry up and people have to move to different areas and that causes inthattibilities and then you talk about the potential for our troops to be brought in. it's something that we talk about more so than my time around the building. yamiche: courtney is saying their focused on -- focus -- focused on this in the pentagon is there a will for republican and democrat toss do something or democrat haves the vote toss do something significant onle climate change? susan: well, this reconciliation bill has some really ambitious pieces of climate legislation as part of it that would, i think, go along way toward an early democratic agenda of getting it done but as with every other people of that bill, you've got to get it through. you've got to get it past a

congress that is almost evenly divided where there's no room for congress to defect on it weave seen every day de -- weave seen debates who have very different visions about what this legislaon ought to end up saying and what it should end up costing that's something that's going to be worked out in the next few weeks the krux will be determine inned the next few weeks in this congress. kara: there's one other piece too, which is this $1 trillion billion which is the infrastructure. it doesn't combat climate change but it does make roads and bridges and suer systems able to with stand some of these other things that we're seeing it's something we're going to see the president talk a lot about and maybe eve some plush republicans when these hurricanes come and wildfire come here are some things that we can do to help the entire

country. republican won't say climate change but they will be talk about how to shore up the inhave the have the uk cure yamiche: i'm fascinated about the jurisdiction na the pont gone is talk act this more and more. can you talk about how they might push for things of course not political but talk about what they might be able to do. courtney: look at that time military's footprint around the world, their an enormous carbon emit what. one of the things they can do is try to reduce their carbon footprints that's snag the study that the pentagon put out several months ago that's something they recommended one other larger thing that -- the terrible weather hurricane ida that weave seen in the past few days, to me it urnedscores the role that the military has in responding those these crises. the national guard there are about 8,000 just respond toking hurricane ida handing out water, food, helping out with electricits anyway that they

can. and they've been taxed in the last year and a half respond toking covid. there are national guard planes who are flying out of kabul in the last couple of weeks. so that is another potential place where you have taxed force and in particular these local national guard troops who are there responding at the state level helping their fellow citizens in their local communities and their particularly taxed right now. appeared it will only get worse. yamiche: we'll have to live it there tonight. it's an important point. thank you to courtney, anita and susan. thank you for joining us. next week vile a special edition of the show focusing on the 9/# 11 terrorist attackses also join us for a week of special stories marking 20 years since 9/11 and how it change changed america our conversation will continue ton "washington week" extra. find it on our social media and on our website this. week's topic, "crises at home." i'm yamiche alcindor. good night from washington.

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(soft music) ♪ (narrator) it has been said that no two sisters were ever less alike. one, reserved and proper; the other, lively and controversial. one, the anchor of a commonwealth of nations; the other, a figure searching for purpose in life. (male speaker) they grew up in a very, very different kind of world, a world of aristracy, of deference, -of people knowing their place. -i think they were quite different from an early age, and they went on being different. (male speaker) i think they were both very sound people, both very committed in their different ways. i suppose that the queen had so much more responsibility on her shoulders, and princess margaret didn't have those things