president who launched america's longest war says ending the war is a mistake. >> i'm afraid afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm. i think it is a mistake. the consequences will be unbelievably bad. anchor: an exclusive interview, george w. bush says afghan allies are being left behind to be slaughtered.

europe's carbon free future. the european union laying out an bitious plan to pivot away from fossil fuels by the end of the decade. in reeling from the riots in south africa, a week of unrest as hospitals are running short on medicine and stores low on food. ♪ two arguers around the world, welcome. we start tonight with striking remarks made by george w. bush. in an exclusive interview, he says he believes the withdrawal of u.s. and nato troops from afghanistan is a mistake. he says he fears that the pullout of troops will lead to women and girls suffering at the hands of taliban. he spoke of his relationship with angela merkel, praising her

for her support for the military mission in afghanistan. >> i was very pleased. she was supportive of troops in afghanistan. one of the reasons why it is because she saw the progress that can be made for young girls and women in afghanistan is a believer will have that society changed. sadly, i'm afraid afghan women and girls are going to suffer harm. >> is it a mistake? >> i think it is. the consequences will be unbelievably bad. i am sad. laura and i spend a lot of time with afghan women. they are scared. i think about all the interpreters and people who helped u.s. and nato troops. it seems like they will be left behind to be slaughtered by

these pharaoh -- very brutal people. it breaks my heart. anchor: he was speaking in an exclusive interview with our washington euro chief. -- bureau chief. it is unusual for a former u.s. president to talk publicly about the decisions of a sitting president. but that is what george w. bush did when he sat down to talk you. give us a sense of how he really feels about this. reporter: it is important to understand that this interview was conducted because of angela merkel and his specific relationship to her. it was a very warm and honest atmosphere. i asked him about the past wars and how he feels about them. he came up with afghanistan and said what we just laid. i think it is really what we

think. he is convinced it is a huge mistake to withdraw troops. mainly women and young girls will suffer from that. anchor: is that what he fears most? >> yes. i think this is what he emotionally fears. i want to give you some perspective. he is convinced that the goal to fight terrorism in the middle east was necessary. and that it is dangerous to leave afghanistan and other countries alone. anchor: we are hearing the former president criticize

president biden. he has defended his decision to withdraw troops from afghanistan. this is what he said last week. >> we did not go to afghanistan to nation build. anchor: he said we did not go to afghanistan to nation build. what was president bush's objective when he launched the war in afghanistan in 2001? reporter: he initiated the war as part of his goal to fight the war on terrorism.

now he wants to stop this never ending war area. anchor: i noticed in the interview with you that the former president did not talk about biden by name. reporter: that was a very open and honest conversation. he is a professional politician. i'm sure he knows what he is saying. i think he is deeply convinced

that this is a mistake. he wants to make his stance clear. anchor: thank you. we will be talking more about this exclusive interview. let's get reaction from afghanistan. he called the withdraw a mistake. is that a view that is shared there in afghanistan? >> it is not so much a mistake. if we are talking about mistakes made in the last 20 years, a lot of people will say bush made plenty of mistakes.

he never really gave the possibility of negotiations with the taliban. if we are talking about mistakes , we have to go back through the entire 20 years. anchor: what about the erratic factor -- iraq factor? is there a feeling that once that were started, there just was not enough attention on afghanistan? >> that is exactly right. i was in the u.s. at the time. th is what wwere talng

about. there was no more talk anymore of afghanistan. how much actual military focus is there? i remember the president being criticized for not standinup against the war. many of us thought it was illegal. he was in a bad position. he needs to keep them happy. it was not politically prudent. anchor: the former u.s. president said he is worried about the translators and interpreters. but that is not exactly what is happening.

they will be flown out of the country beginning this month. >> that is what we are hearing. they are caught in a nightmare. if you do not recall exact names and dates and places, you can be disqualified. all of these things are getting in the way of people getting visas. for them to get legitimate

answers to prove their cases is very difficult. the logistical part is proving to be a major hurdle. anchor: what about the taliban? there are reports today that it hoisted its flag today at eight the border crossing with pakistan. >> this is part of what people are saying in terms of it is very quaint that george bush is not talking about mistakes. by 2005nd 2006, the taliban was much less potent. how is it from then until now they have been re-able to reconstitute themselves?

to be able to capture territory. this is a question that george bush will have to sit down and think about with himself. anchor: it is easier to start a war than to end a war area afghanistan is the perfect example. we appreciate your reporting. you can watch our full interview at our website. and on our youtube channel. let's take a look at other stories making headlines around the world. france paying tribute to the victims of an attack. 86 people died july 14, 2016, when a truck plowed into a large crowd celebrating best deal day -- bastille day.

investigations continuing into the killing last week of haiti's president. five suspects remain at large. boys are searching for a former patient senator and a convicted cocaine smuggler. police believe the killing may have been politically motivated. the united arab emirates has opened an embassy in israel. it marks the latest step in the normalization of relations. fears over food and fuel shortages are growing in south africa after a week of looting and unrest. hospitals are now running out of oxygen, medicine, and foods. more than 70 people have been

killed and some of the worst violence seen since the end of apartheid. reporter: a building is on fire. a baby is thrown down on the thing we caught by a small crowd. others managed to make their esca. shots were looted and set ablaze. this is one of the cities in south africa being rocked by unrest. businesses are paying a high price. in some places, south africans are forced up for essentials. >> we are conrned about shortages. hopefully the food supply start next week. reporter: some suspected looters have been arrested. in this small, it looks like a free-for-all.

>> heartbreaking to see. not nice to see. reporter: police fire on looters. the military has been sent in to try to restore law and order. protest began last week after a former president began serng a month jail term for contempt of fort. frustration over inequality and rising unemployment are also fueling the chaos. i guess the real reason is because we have nothing and we see other people stealing, at some point, you realize shops will close and you will be left with nothing.

after all of this, how will i survive? for now, there is no sign of the unrest living up -- letting up. anchor: it is an ambitious challenge to the rest of the world. the european union set out a plan to cut greenhouse gases 55% by the end of the decade. the calls for a carbon tax that both the u.s. and china opposed area critics say the plan places too much of a burden on consumers. environment lack of a say the plan design varna. -- activists say the plant is not far enough. reporter: an event that europe's leaders have compared to another historic challenge, the fight against climate change. >> we do not have all of the answers yet. today is the start of a journey.

this is europe's man on the moon moment. >> they aim to be the first climate neutral continent i climate -- by 2050. as a first step, leaders have pledged cut emissions by 55%. critics say these cuts are nowhere near enough to meet the goals of the 2015 paris agreement. others fear less wealthy countries and poor citizens will not be able to afford the measures. the eu has pledged to help lower income households and write climate change by introducing a package of new laws. anchor: we want to go to stockholm.

it is good to have you on the show. this is an ambitious plan that europe is presenting to itself and the world. is it what is needed to meet the promises and pledges of the paris climate agreement? >> thank you for having me. they are not only putting on the table a new strategy and climate reduction target, but critically also setting out a comprehensive plan to actually achieve it. what this package is really built on is the ability to pay. it will extend carbon pricing to around two thirds of emissions. that is a good thing as long as we make sure thatevenues

generated, we spend them well. anchor: i know a lot of people will wonder if that makes the consumer pay more. >> ultimately it will. they tend to pass that on to consumers. it does not matter in the end. the advantage of doing this with carbonises is you will have substantial revenues. they have set out some initial plans that will genate

billions. to help them with the transition. this is all about embedding fairness of the heart of these proposals. anchor: there are 27 members of the european union. will these measures have to be watered down before we finally get up ruble by everyone? >> inevitably, one gets everything they want. there is also the european parliament to take into accnt. this will be a package deal. there will be a safer cmate for future generations. i think the package will get through.

anchor: heavy rains in germany have unleashed some of the worst flooding in decade. the storms have been blamed for at least one death, with more severe weather casted -- forecast. reporter: the deluge took many residents in western germany by surprise. there was no water around 1:30, but within half an hour, it was completely flooded. all at once the water started flowing in. it came over here and in no time it was up to my chest. different parts of germany were hit by the bad weather. in dusseldorf, and entire housing estate needed to be evacuated. elsewhere, a firefighter was foot away by the water and drowned.

a 53-year-old was caught in a flash flood. rescue workers are still searching for him. the heavy rainfall was caused by warm and cooler air mixing. some extreme weather can happen in summer, but it is rare. the last time we saw this happen was in 2005 or before that in 1999 when some rivers flooded due to the sheer amount of rainfall. this area was hit particularly hard. it was impossible to drive along some streets, even for the rescuers. this prompted us to reese -- request help from the army. luckily, it turned out very well. people all across germany are hoping for the rain to relent soon. anchor: turning to the fight

against the coronavirus, here in europe, most countries are on track to reach their goal of getting about 70% of the population vaccinated by the end of the summer. but bulgaria is nowhere near that target. it has the lowest vaccination rates in europe. just 16% of citizens have received one jab so far. we went to find out what is behindhe reluctant. reporter: people are not exactly flocking to this vaccination center. today, only a trickle of locals are coming in. overall, public opinion about vaccinations has been very skeptical. over time, that is changing. this doctor is doing his best. but he works alone. getting the jab into all arms in

this district is going to take time. in spring, they did not have enough vaccines. but n they are spoiled for choice. johnson & johnson is one does. you get the certificate right away. this is your care. now i can go to greece. but this happy patient is in the minority. at the nearby market, locals are of a different mind. skepticism abounds. we do not want to get vaccinated. i am not afraid, but i'm not doing it. i am very skeptical of these vaccines. they have been developed to vast. -- too fast. i will not get vaccinated. government officials already fear a next wave of infections.

this doctor from bulgaria is at a loss to explain it. people make such choices based on emotions, not rational thinking. nowhere in europe is so much given to act -- anti-vaccine opinion. it is not rational. i cannot explain for myself why this is happening. >> this media expert thinks she knows the reason. >> there is directly between believing in misinformation and conspiracyheories about covid and low levels of trust in national government. reporter: she also believes the government is at fault. >> we had two mical council

saying to contradicting things about covid. reporter: there is also the internet, where a lot of this information comes from russia. >> they are saying that after two world wars now we have a third world war which is fght not with guns but with vaccines. reporter: the government is now planning a big pr campaign in order to promote vaccinations. but given public opinion, it seems like an uphill battle. anchor: former u.s. president george w. bush says he believes he withdrawal of nato troops from afghanistan is a mistake. he tells us that women, girls, and people who assisted forces will be left behind to suffer. food and fuel shortages in south africa. rioters ransacked stores. more than 70 people have been killed in violence sparked by the jailing of former president

jacob zuma. after a short break, i will be back to you through "the day." more of our exclusive interview with george w. bush. he says ending the war in afghanistan is a mistake. we will be right back. ♪

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♪ >> the city of nice remembers the 86 people killed and those injured in the bastille day terror attack five years ago. solemn remembrance and memorial for the victims -- the european commission has launched an ambitious package of climate policy proposals. the e.u.'s goal of cutting emissions by 55% by 2030 from 1990