they read bagram airfield in bagram afghanistan and they sat down at the previous attachment from hml8773 so all the hangers they worked out of in the housing units they were very clear with. their colleagues had been there before but i was going forward and i boarded an air transportation command plane here in atlanta and we flew through frankfurt germany and landed in kuwait. remember we got there late at night and the kind of pointed us to the warehouse type place where we would be villa did. i was carrying a couple of sea bags, my banjo and books. it took me three trips. anytime i move i have three trips worth of getting my gear. my trash it seems like from one place to the other in the eye got to did kuwait and i had some difficulty trying to then get into afghanistan. kuwait was an entry point and an exit point for folks who are going to afghanistan so most people were there for going forward into iraq are coming back from being in iraq. i had to kind of check-in and i got into the database in kuwait and i learned that there was a flight to afghanistan the next day. it was anoth

>> bagram feels vulnerable., and now with the americans gone, the power cut and base defenses disrupted, if the taliban were able to break them out, it would amass a huge fighting force right on the doorstep of kabul. >> richard engel, thank you. >>> former president trump has announced he is suing facebook, twitter, and google, and will also sue their ceos because of bans they imposed on him after the capitol riot. mr. trump slamming the bans as part of a trend of big tech company censoring conservatives. the legal experts say he likely face answer uphill battle in court. representatives for facebook and twitter declined comment. >>> police in minnesota are asking for the public's help in finding a vehicle involved in a highway shooting that killed a youth baseball coach, the victim's son in the car as they drove home from a game. we get more from meagan fitzgerald. >> reporter: tonight a manhunt under way after the latest casualty of gun violence. >> code three plymouth traffic accident. >> reporter: a youth b

joining us live from bagram airbase in afghanistan. survivors two days after a deadly mudslide. three people are confirmed dead and the number of the missing are standing at 80 following saturday's disaster in the coastal city. rain and the threat of another land slide have been complicating rescue efforts. the for more let's bring in cnn's blake esik, who is joining us live in japan. blake, so many loved ones unaccounted for this hour. what more are you learning about the search and rescue effort there? >> reporter: you know, on rosemary, the search and rescue efforts started early this morning. and have been nonstop. helicopters flying overhead from you our vantage point, outside the disaster area, you can look down and you can see crews from, you know, whether it's the police, firefighters and japan's self defense force. they are all out there on the ground looking through partially collapsed buildings. combing through the mud, there's also also a coast guard ship patrolling the coast line. looking for any signs of life and potentia

the last us troops have left bagram, their main military base in afghanistan. the biden administration says it's on course to withdraw completely from the country by the end of august. 20 people are now confirmed dead in the surfside apartment collapse in miami, as rescuers continue their search ahead of an incoming storm. the queen meets the german chancellor at windsor, as angela merkel says britons who've had both covid jabs should be able to visit germany in the foreseeable future without quarantine. with the rapid move from internal combustion engines to battery—powered cars, demand is rising for the minerals needed to make them. hello and welcome. the last american troops have left bagram air base, the us military�*s centre of operations throughout two decades of occupation and engagement in afghanistan. the departure is a signal that the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the country is imminent. a taliban spokesman described the handover of bagram as a positive step. our security correspondent frank gardner reports. bagram air base, afghanistan,

troops have, in fact, left bagram. cnn's oren liebermann, at the pentagon. >>> the final withdrawal of u.s. and coalition forces from bagram airbase just north of kabul in afghanistan is a major milestone, after nearly-20 years of a u.s. presence at the sprawling military complex that became the heart of u.s. operations in the country. what was a dilapidated runway when u.s. forces showed up shortly after 9/11, became a mini city in its own right. complete with shops, gyms, classrooms. many, if not all, of the tens of thousands of troops who fought in the war on terror in afghanistan entered the country through bagram. and nearly all of the 2,400 service members who lost their lives in that war came home in their final journey, from bagram air force base. the closure of the base, or rather the transfer of the base, from the u.s. to the afghan military, is an indication that the final withdrawal of u.s. forces from afghanistan is nearly complete. on friday, the pentagon and the -- and the white house said the completion

troops who were based at bagram airbase. bagram, a symbol of u.s.he last troops have left that airbase. how do you feel about that? what are your concerns about security in afghanistan going forward? >> well, it was really -- really, an unfortunate thing that we tried to create a democratic country in an area where there weren't institutional elements capable of sustaining it. and i don't think there's much difference in afghanistan now, than there was 20 years ago. they don't have much of an economy. they are basically controlled by tribes. and the taliban. and it's going to generate into the same kind of problems that were there before. in fact, the same problems have been there, anyway. we didn't make a lot of headway south of kandahar in the last 20 years. so i would just say let's get -- let's move on and pay attention to our own problems for a while. >> congressman frances rooney, it is a pleasure to have you. i hope you have a nice fourth of july weekend. happy birthday, america. >> you, too. thank you very much. >>> coming up. new details ab

the last us troops leave bagram, their main military base in afghanistan. the biden administration says it's on course to withdraw completely from the country by the end of august. brazil's prosecutor general wants to investigate president bolsonaro for failing to act on allegations of corruption in the purchase of coronavirus vaccines. and spain and italy are through to the semi—finals of euro 2020 after beating switzerland and belgium respectively. hello and welcome to bbc news. lots coming up. first — the un security council has met to discuss the crisis in ethiopia's tigray region. eight months of fighting means hundreds of thousands of people are now at risk of starvation. the ethiopian government has denied allegations that it's been blocking aid getting through. this is after tigrayan rebels took control of much of the northern region this week. the un world food programme says it's up and running again but access is still difficult. courtney bembridge has the latest. an extraordinary moment after months of brittle conflict. celebrations on the stree

. >> reporter: when we visited bagram air base, it was so empty, i was able to bike down the runway. no one even asked what i was doing. i the soldiers seemed almost yeda r:ir wthrs unaware there's a war going on. two units are fighting. afghanistan's small air force and the commandos. on a mission i saw them on the attack, advancing into gunfire. but there are just 30,000 commandos up against around three times as many taliban. the commandos are doing 90% of the fighting. so perhaps no one is holding afghanistan together more than the commando's general. >> everybody was so much relying on our american colleagues and friends here in afghanistan. we will learn how to alone fight -- run this fight. r >> reporter: what about foreign fighters, extremists, terrorists? we understand they are starting to come back in once again. are you seeing evidence of that? >> we are. you may have been tracking. just in the last month we have killed dozens of al qaeda in helmand and different parts of the country. >> reporter: do you think afghanistan could once again with a springboard for internation

a taliban spokesman described the handover of bagram as a positive step.ecurity correspondent frank gardner reports. bagram air base, afghanistan, the most strategically vital base in the country. last night, the us military pulled out after nearly 20 years there. it follows a decision by president biden for us forces to leave afghanistan by september 11. we're on track exactly as to where we expected to be, but i wanted to make sure there was enough "running room", that we wouldn't be able to do it all till september. there will still be some forces left, but it's a rational drawdown with our allies. the base has now been handed over to afghan government forces. but all over the country, they're coming under pressure from advancing taliban fighters. without western military support, there are doubts whether they can hold out. translation: the situationl in afghanistan will get worse. it is already chaotic. you see ghorband district falling. there is lots of insecurity. the government does not have all the weapons and equipment. western air support has bee

>> let me ask you this about bagram air base. what's the more likely future, that the taliban controls it, that u.s. controls it, or some day we'll have to attack something we built because our enemies are somehow using it. >> reporter: well, the big factor of bagram right now there are thousands of taliban prisoners and others inside. some of them top leaders from the taliban. and military officials have told me they are concerned because the power is out, base defenses are disrupted, and if the taliban tried to liberate their prisoners, and they are already in other towns and cities tried to liberate their prisoners, if they were able to free those, and anywhere from 5 to 10,000 prisoners inside, if they were able to free them, bagram is on the door steps of kabul, could become a tipping point and based on what i saw it's very vulnerable. so afghans think it's possible bagram could become a target because of those prisoners then will the u.s. have to attack it? watch it happen? come back? they'll be some very tough decisions th

troops have left afghanistan's bagram airbase. it had been the center of u.s. operations against the taliban and al qaeda. president biden pressing the accelerator on the withdrawal of forces but denied that a full withdrawal is imminent. that is still set for september 11. >> after two decades of american presence, bagram airport. >> and repeat that this country is ours. >> program has become a symbol of foreign occupation in afghanistan. it was the main air base used by coalition forces since the u.s. invasion in 2001, becoming a makeshift village with a hospital and even fast food restaurants. some 100,000 soldiers lived there. this nerve center in the fight against the taliban will likely be remembered for housing a secret facility for housing terrorists where torture was conducted. on friday, the u.s. president said everything was going according to plan for withdrawal. >> we're are exactly where we expected to be. i wanted to make sure there was enough running room that we would be able to do it all by september. it is a rational drawdown with our ally tr

military handover at bagram air base in afghanistan. all u.s. forces have now left bagram.t is a huge air field that was the heart of the u.s. military presence in afghanistan for 20 years. it is now in the hands of afghan security forces. this is a new sign that the full withdrawal of u.s. troops is in its final stages and will be completed very shortly. >> the bagram exit was without pomp and ceremony. it is seen as a symbolic victory for the taliban who have been gaining significant ground in afghanistan as the united states leec leaves. our anna koryn is there. it leaves question marks and danger for those on the ground in afghanistan. talking about afghans. >> reporter: yes, and a huge vacuum, too. there's no guarantee, poppy, that afghanistan won't become a safe haven for terrorists again like it did in 2001, which is the whole reason why america invaded afghanistan. so much blood and treasure has been spent here in this country. $2 trillion. more than 2,400 u.s. lives, more than 100,000 afghan lives, tens of thousands of afghan soldiers have died on the battle field

and coalition forces departed bagram air base. we understand two plane loads of troops and equipment flew out last night, one this morning at 6:30 a.m. and as you say, this really sum p symbolizes the end of america's presence. yes, they will be leaving up to 1,000 troops in country to protect the u.s. embassy as well as to secure the international airport until turkish forces come into play. but as for their physical footprint, assisting, training, advising afghan forces, that has now come to an end. this is after 20 years, $2 trillion, more than 2400 u.s. troops killed, 1200 coalition forces killed. you've got more than 100,000 afghan lives have been lost during this conflict, tens of thousands of a begof afghan for died. we never got a specific number on that because they don't release those details due to the casualties that they have suffered. but it comes at a time when the country is reeling. we know that the security situation has ban rapidly deteriorating over the past few months. we have the taliban making, you know, ser

there's also a prison inside bagram air base.military police division. there are about 5,000 prisoners inside and they're mainly terrorists, members of al qaeda, taliban. there's some foreign prisoners there, but perhaps the taliban will target this prison within the compound and try to break these prisoners out. now, when we put that question to the brigadier, he thought that wouldn't happen. they have been looking after these prisoners now for many years, but obviously without the safety blanket of the americans being there it does raise concerns and you mentioned, you know, the offenses that the taliban are launching around the country, particularly in the north and the northeast. and yes, a thousand troops fled over into tajikistan and they wanted to claim the border post. you know, control what is coming in from the central asian nations, control the highways and basically choke afghanistan. that is obviously their plan. but look, we haven't seen afghan forces mobilize a real counterattack as yet, however, we hear that the p

the last american troops have left bagram airbase, the u.s.itary center of operations throughout two decades of occupation andngagement in afghanistan. the departure is a signal that the complete withdrawal of foreign forces from the country is imminent. a taliban spokesman described the handover of bagram is a positive step. our security correspondent frank gardner reports. frank: bagram airbase, afghanistan, the most strategically vital base in the country. last night the u.s. military pulled out after nearly 20 years there. it follows a decision by president biden for u.s. forces to leave afghanistan by september 11. pres. biden: we are on track exactly as to where we expected to be. i wanted to make sure there was enough "running room" that we wouldn't be able to do it all till september. there will still be some forces left, but it is a rational drawdown with our allies for . frank: the base has been handed over to afghan forces. but all over the country they are coming under pressure from advancing taliban fighters. there are doubts whet

commander on his last helicopter ride out of bagram. and what he said he's concerned about when the u.s. is gone. >>> reporter: it was clear when we visited bagram airfield last week that u.s. and coalition forces would all soon depart. general scott miller, circling the 14-square-mile base, the fighter jets gone and heavy uip. and on the ground, only a few dozen troops in sight. once the order for withdrawal of all troops came, this became one of the largest and fastest movements of equipment since world war ii. outside the gates today, only afghan forces remain, a force already facing dire circumstances as the taliban sweeps through the country. with some in the intelligence community predicting the government here could fall in as little as six months. but president biden today tried to brush aside those concerns. >> i met with the afghan government here in the white house, in the oval. i think they have the capacity to be able to sustain the government. >> reporter: mr. president, a follow-up on that thought on afghanistan. >> i wan

military leaving the bagram air base in afghanistan after nearly 20 years. remaining troops expected out by august. president biden bristling at repeated questions about whether the afghan government will fall to the taliban and how soon some fear that could happen. >>> news on the pandemic heading into july 4th. president biden declaring we have covid-19 on the run, but the u.s. falling just short of his goal to have 70% of adults receiving at least one dose of vaccine. and the delta variant fueling a rise in covid cases in undervaccinated states. foma her apology and what this means for her chances at the summer olympics in tokyo later this month. >>> and the billionaire space race, branson versus bezos. who will get there first? >>> good evening. it's great to have you with us on this friday night. i'm whit johnson in for david tonight. as we come on the air the first hurricane of the atlantic season is racing across the caribbean heading toward the u.s. coast. adding to the frenzy of an already landmark fourth of july holida more than 47 million american

troops at bagram air base in afghanistan which served as the heart of u.s.ary operations for 20 years handed over control to the afghan military. a military that is now bracing for the taliban's continued advance which a top u.s. commander warned could result in a civil war. we are covering this from washington to kabul. let's start with cnn's kaitlan collins at the white house where president biden was visibly frustrated today. >> reporter: with little fanfare, the u.s. left afghanistan's largest air base and effectively ended two decades of war. >> we're on track exactly as to where we expect it to be. >> reporter: although the official drawdown from afghanistan isn't over yet, the departure from bagram air base sends a strong signal that u.s. operations are. >> what is the latest date that the white house is looking at right now? >> well, we currently expect it to be completed by the end of august. >> reporter: the sprawling compound was often visited by u.s. leaders and became the center of military power in afghanistan after being the first to house u.s

presence at bagram air force base. a field that became the symbol and the base from which operations were launched throughout the country. 20 years ago when the u.s. arrived, it was essentially a dilapidated air field left over from the russian presence in afghanistan. it became a mini city, in its own right. one with gyms, chlassrooms, really a miniature city that became the entry point for tens of thousands of troops in the war against tarerror. it is surreal, to many here, to think that bagram air force base, so long a u.s. presence, no longer has u.s. troops there. truly, a milestone, as the u.s. nears completion of its withdrawal. of course, where does afghanistan go from here? the taliban is making significant gains throughout the country. picking up districts in a continued fight with afghan-security forces, who have taken back a few districts. but there is a fear amongst senior-military officials that afghanistan is headed back to a civil war. at this point, there are, still, u.s. troops left in kabul and there

troops have now left bagram air base in afghanistan.n the withdraw from america's longest war. we're take you live to kabul as only cnn can. delicia: this is where all our recycling is sorted -- 1.2 million pounds every day, helping to make san francisco the greenest big city in america. but that's not all you'll find here. there are hundreds of good-paying jobs, with most new workers hired from bayview-hunter's point. we don't just work at recology, we own it, creating opportunity and a better planet. now, that's making a difference. ♪ watch the olympic games on xfinity ♪ ♪ root for team usa and feel the energy ♪ ♪ 7000 plus hours of the olympics on display ♪ ♪ with xfinity you get every hour of every day ♪ ♪ different sports on different screens, ♪ ♪ you can watch it anywhere ♪ ♪ and with the voice remote ♪ ♪ you never have to leave your chair ♪ show me team usa. ♪ all of this innovation could lead to some inspiration ♪ ♪ and you might be the next one to represent our nation ♪ ♪ this summer on your tv, tablet, or any screen ♪ ♪ xfinit

we're live at bagram air base. >>> thanks for being with us, and we begin with it latest efforts to find survivors after the collapse of a florida condo 11 days ago. crews have now demolished what remained of that high rise. officials say they had to bring it down to resume search and rescue operations safely. 121 people remain unaccounted for while 24 people have been confirmed dead. demolition might not have happened for days or even weeks had it not been for fears of what approaching tropical storm elsa might do. >> the approaching storm may have been a blessing in disguise for us in that it initiated the demolition discussion. that discussion has accomplished several things. it's eliminated a looming threat, a dangerous threat for our rescue workers. it will potentially open up probably a third of the pile so we can all, you know, so the teams can focus on not just two thirds of the pile but on the whole thing which is important, and, you know, we want to make sure that we control which way the building falls and not the hurricane. so all of this together i think ended up being a goo

we went to bagram when the retrograde was just starting.ordinary amount of military assets, toilet paper, chili beans, electronic equipment, gps devices, armored vehicles, the whole gamut of things that the united states soldiers used during the years of operations here. it is telling us that it is in days now. ros: we already had a briefing from the americans, saying they intend to leave some troops to protect the american embassy, are they part of that 10%, or is that a separate deployment that we should see differently? >> that should definitely be seen as differently. what the united states is saying is we use troops, not just in afghanistan, b in missions around the world. marines guarding the u.s. embassy in berlin. this is a normal diplomatic procedure to use your armed forces to protect your diplomatic property and diplomatic staff. ros: the taliban is saying they have captured another 10 districts in the last day. afghanistan's national security advisor responded saying, in some circumstances, his forces became overstretched. >> so

bagram was the center of the twenty-year campaign against the islamic extremists. the pallet -- that taliban terror group is celebrating the departure of the western groups and has already overrun much of the country. afghans are worried about what will happen to them now that the international troops have gone. reporter: this is the sound of u.s. troops leaving afghanistan to its fate. in 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, u.s. troops turned bagram into a key military base to hunt down military groups responsible for the atrocity. now, the afghan government is getting the base back even though they have made no headway. present biden believes it can work. pres. biden: we were in that war for 20 years. i think i met with the afghan government here in the oval, i think they have the capacity to sustain the government. reporter: afghans do not have as much faith in their government as biden. as military troops apart, they are looking for a way out. people are flocking to passport offices in kabul to plan their exit. we are very worried about a possible return of

we did, however, speak to the commander of bagram air base.id this is our country, we need to fight for it, and we need to rebuild it. >> okay. anna coren in kabul and oren liebermann at the pentagon. thank you both for your reporting. >>> police right now are urgently looking for a person who shot and killed a golf pro and two others. the clues officials are digging into up next. you already pay for car insurance, why not take your home along for the ride? allstate. here, better protection costs a whole lot less. you're in good hands. click or call to bundle today. (upbeat music) - [narrator] this is kate. she always wanted her smile to shine. now, she uses a capful of therabreath healthy smile oral rinse to give her the healthy, sparkly smile she always wanted. (crowd cheering) therabreath, it's a better mouthwash. at walmart, target and other fine stores. ♪ when i was young ♪ no-no-no-no-no please please no. ♪ i never needed anyone. ♪ front desk. yes, hello... i'm so... please hold. ♪ those days are done. ♪ i got you. ♪ all by yourself. ♪ g

and coalition forces have now left bagram air base. a key military facility near the capital of kabul. and the death toll from last week's partial collapse of a high rise condo building near miami stands at 20, including the 7-year-old daughter of a firefighter supporting the rescue efforts there. officials say 128 people remain unaccounted for. >>> newly appointed members of the select house committee to investigate the january 6th riot are getting down to work as we wait for house republicans to appoint the panel's remaining members. the committee chair mississippi congressman benny thompson joins us in a moment to talk about what lies ahead for that committee. but joining us to start off this hour of coverage, jonathan lamire, nbc news political reporter and joining us from beach haven on the jersey shore is stephanie ruhle and host of "stephanie ruhle reports." good news for the white house today, that's how they're billing it. what does the job's report tell us about the state of the economic recovery in this country? >> it's good

it was bagram where osama bin laden's body was flown after the raid into pakistan.atched it all up close over these decades from bagram to remote out posts, the triumphs and the heart-breaking loss. john campbell always with the cards he carried to remember each soldier killed in battle. >> i think about them every day. >> reporter: general david petraeus after nearly a decade of war -- >> your thoughts? >> reporter: taking off from this base in a combat mission. we are upside down, over the mountains. after all these years, all these missions, the taliban is gaining strength as afghan forces surrender or are massacred through districts across the country. the majority of the districts that have been taken are many miles from here in kabul. the big question is what happens here when all the u.s. forces leave afghanistan? we travelled to the outskirts of cabal to the home of a taliban elder, a senior leader when the taliban was in charge of this country. >> the taliban is taking over many districts in afghanistan. will they come here to kabul? [speaking foreign langu

forces have left bagram air base in afghanistan. this is the most significant step yet in the full withdrawal of u.s. troops from the country after nearly 20 years, even as the threat of civil war looms. in 2011, there were almost 100,000 troops in afghanistan. ba bagram, once a sprawling compound, was the center of american military operations there. that base was the target of numerous attacks by the taliban. it was october of 2001 when the u.s. entered afghanistan in response to the september 11th attacks. since then, more than 2,300 troops have been killed there. more than 20,000 wounded. the united states spent about $2 trillion funding that operation. and the u.n. reports at least 100,000 civilians have been killed in afghanistan from this conflict. cnn's anna corinne is live in kabul. what happens as the u.s. officially hands over bagram to the afghans? >> reporter: it has happened. the afghans are already in charge of bagram air base. that happened early this morning when the last plane load of u.s. and nato forces left arou

. >>> reports of looting at bagram air base after the u.s. leaves. a sign they could be unraveling. >>> a claim that the military will quit if vaccinations are requ requiring. >>> a growing exodos of capitol police officers following the insurrection and new fears of another attack on the building. >>> "new day" weather, brought to you by serv pro, helping to make fire and water damage like it never happened. among my patients i often see them have teeth sensitivity as well as gum issues. does it worry me? absolutely. sensodyne sensitivity and gum gives us a dual action effect that really takes care of both our teeth sensitivity as well as our gum issues. there's no question it's something that i would recommend. ♪ ♪ when technology is easier to use... ♪ barriers don't stand a chance. ♪ that's why we'll stop at nothing to deliver our technology as-a-service. ♪ from prom dresses to workouts and new adventures you hope the more you give the less they'll miss. but even if your teen was vaccinated against meningitis in the past they may be missing vaccin

troops have left bagram, that's a major base that was the u.s. u.s. forces from the country by september 11th. >>> and u.s. vaccinations on track to fall short of president biden's goal of getting at least one shot in the arms of 70% of adults by the fourth of july and now, you know the news on this friday, july 2nd, 2021, i'm rahel solomon, in for shepard smith. here, if you already pay for car insurance, you can take your home along for the ride. allstate. better protection costs a whole lot less. click or call to bundle today. i'm evie's best camper badge. but even i'm not as memorable as eating better protection costs a whole lot less. turkey hill chocolate chip cookie dough creamy premium ice cream and chasing fireflies. don't worry about me. i'm fine. you can't beat turkey hill memories. [tires screeching] >> flags are up. [screaming] >> hi, i'm jay leno. all: hi, jay. >> hi, everybody. how you doing? and this is a show about cars. it's fun to drive cars that are really different. >> this one's a death trap. >> oh, i see, because-- >> becau

for more on the implications of american troops departing bagram airbase.e joined now by a car. thika shashi kumar, political science professor at san jose state university, so glad you could take the time today we appreciated obviously the withdrawal from bagram comes at a very perilous time in afghanistan with the taliban on the offensive, obviously gaining, gaining a foothold in that country. what was this? the right time for the us to leave, and do you think the president or the administration might be having any second thoughts about the decision? well i think this is a good time for us to pause and remember why the united states went into afghanistan in the first place, which was the goal was to guarantee american security and the february agreement that was signed actually by the previous administration with the taliban requires them to do two things. stop attacking u. s troops and cut ties with al qaeda. and i would say that if those two can be achieved by putting pressure on the top the band, then the withdrawal is probably coming exactly at the ri

troops officially left bagram air force base in afghanistan marking a decade of a military presence. a live report from kabul just ahead. welcome to friday, it is "meet the press." i'm chuck todd. we have a bit of an ominous briefing yesterday from public health officials as officials hit airports and roads and are set to break pandemic levels. this morning while delivering remarks about the covid recovery, president biden laid out his concerns as the u.s. is sadly set to fall short of his u.s. vaccination goal. >> i'm concerned that people who have not gotten vaccinated have the capacity to catch the variant and spread it to other people who have not been vaccinated. i'm not concerned that there will be a major outbreak, in other words, that we're going to have another epidemic nationwide. there is a concern that lives will be lost. >> a lot of lives have been and will be lost. and inany cases right now completely unnecessary. last month we lost about 10,000 americans from the virus. it's really tragic because around 99% of them would be alive today had they been vaccinated. that is

bagram air base, afghanistan, the most strategically vital base in the country.ast night, the us military pulled out after nearly 20 years there. it follows a decision by president biden for us forces to leave afghanistan by september 11. we're on track exactly as to where we expected to be, but i wanted to make sure there was enough "running room", that we wouldn't be able to do it all till september. there will still be some forces left, but it's a rational drawdown with our allies. the base has now been handed over to afghan government forces. but all over the country, they're coming under pressure from advancing taliban fighters. without western military support, there are doubts whether they can hold out. translation: the situationl in afghanistan will get worse. it is already chaotic. you see ghorband district falling. there is lots of insecurity. the government does not have all the weapons and equipment. western air support has been crucial, both for transporting troops to the battlefield and for carrying out air strikes. without it, more districts are ex

richard engel in kabul >> reporter: the troops have been pulled from bagram air field. they have been there since after 9/11 but the u. is leaving very, very quietly all of the troop movements are practically state secret they're not advertised in advance. they're not inviting journalists or vips to witness these ceremonies the u.s. says it's for security concerns, but it gives the impression that american troops are leaving here in a hidden way, that this is not a victory celebration, that they are quietly going toward the door. the commander of american forces here is not painting a rosy picture about what's to come he says this country could be sliding into a civil war and that the taliban have been making advances. >> the security situation is not, not good right now. what we're seeing is the, you know, rapid loss of district centers, although the afghan security forces have gained some of those back in certain parts of the country >> reporter: two groups in particular are most concerned about the taliban's return to power, women, who don't want to go back to taliba

you were given a tour of bagram air base shortly after the u.s. soldiers left.e your impressions of what they left behind? >> well, there's a sense of abandonment from the afghans. you know, basically they did not know that the americans were going to be flying out, that last flight very early friday morning. the brigadier who is now in charge of bagram air base were told to secure the perimeter and there was some looting before the afghans properly secured the american section, but it was just, you know, whatever had troops had left behind. i think there was some, you know, computer screens. some monitors. there was some american footballs. a bit of, you know, memorabilia. a chair with stars and stripes on it, but otherwise, it was scrap metal and the afghans managed to lock that down. but certainly, it comes at a time when there are question marks over whether the afghan forces can defend their people against the taliban. i mentioned bagram air base which is really now just this deserted, sprawling facility. afghans are going to put some 3,000 troops this ther

soldiers captured bagram airbase, the last u.s. service men and women left. a nation not left strong, prosperous and secure and over 100,000 afghan civilians according to the united nations. many of those fallen soldiers repatriated from these runways. now in the position of afghan government forces as they continue their lonely fight with the taliban. they are the only ones who will consider friday's u.s. departure a victory. >> the security situation is not good right now. that's something that's recognized by the afghan security forces and they're making the appropriate adjustments as we move forward. >> reporter: taliban fighters have seized back the country americans have fought to liberate. they will remain as few as 600 u.s. troops here to provide security for american diplomats. >> we intend to maintain a diplomatic presence in kabul. that is something that is important to us given our desire to have a continued partnership with the afghan government and crucially with the afghan people. >> reporter: their forever war will continue as joe biden wades

a taliban spokesman described the handover of bagram as a positive step.urity correspondent frank gardner reports. backroom airbase, afghanistan, the more strategically vital base in the country. last night, the us military pulled out of the nearly 20 years there. it follows a decision by president biden for us forces to leave afghanistan by december 11. we are leave afghanistan by december 11. - are on track exactly as to where we expected to be but ijust wanted to make sure there was enough, quote, running room that we wouldn't be able to do it all in september. there will still be some forces left. it is a rational drawdown with our allies. ,., , left. it is a rational drawdown with our allies. , , ., , our allies. the base is now been handed over _ our allies. the base is now been handed over to _ our allies. the base is now been handed over to afghan - our allies. the base is now been i handed over to afghan government forces, but all over the country, they are coming under pressure from advancing taliban fighters. without military support, there are

gave up its air assets inside afghanistan, including bagram airbase that we had invested so much in,g on behalf of afghan forces, to be able to stop taliban advances, particularly in helmand and kandahar, but that's been over the horizon bombing which means they are coming probably from assets in the mideast, in the gulf. a long way to go, very hard to maintain. but would you recommend that in fact the u.s. does maintain some kind of bombing assistance like that on a regular basis in order to stop the taliban advance? >> well, yes of course, and i don't say this because i'm a military expert but i speak to enough of them, the bagram airbase was the perfect place to do that from, you need to be in theater to have the intelligence you need, you can't do this on a sustained basis from as you say over the horizon from far away. you have to refuel, very short time in the air over the target. can't be done. bagram airbase was a wonderful asset for afghanistan for the indo pacific where there are more than a dozen other jihadi organizations that we should be monitoring and perhaps hitting a

what goes through your mind when you see this quiet bagram air base?say my heart goes out to the survivors at surfside. our hearts are breaking. you know, on bagram air base, this policy is just asinine. it doesn't make sense. this one air base, if you look where it's located, from that base are drones and special forces. they can go after half the world's terrorist organizations that still exist in the afghan, pakistani border region and sandwiched with china, russia and iran. in that one base we can affect the battlefield for four out of five adversaries. basically all of our enemies except north korea out of that one base. if we ever go to some type of conflict in taiwan, it would be a nice to have a base in china's back yard. we just gave it away for free. that was bought with so much blood and treasure. it just makes absolutely zero sense to me. the thing is, martha, the intelligence community and the military have been very clear that al-quaida will come roar back in the wake of a taliban takeover. when we have to send our soldiers back in with n

troops have left bagram air base in afghanistan. president biden just said that a complete withdrawal won't happen within days, but that it is on track. but the top u.s. commander there is warning that the continued violence could devolve into a civil war after american troops have left. cnn's anna coren is live in kabul. so give us more about these breaking details. >> reporter: yeah, fredricka, that is right. u.s. and nato forces flew out overnight and early this morning, leching bagram air base after 20 years in country. they leave behind about a thousand u.s. forces. 600 of them will protect the u.s. embassy and the others to secure the airport until turkish forces come in to play. but obviously the end of the chapter for america's forever war. president biden, you heard just then, saying we're bringing our troops home. those troops will be home by the 4th of july. the deadline was set for september 11th. obviously that is now two months early. for local after -- local afghans knew this day would come but didn't think it would b

troops have left bagram, the last active military base to be used in afghanistan, and few hundred troops in kabul, and we will bring you the headlines of the pentagon briefing as we get them. >>> meantime, incredible heartache of the scene where i was standing 24 hours ago. overnight, the officials say that searchers in surfside, florida, made a heart wrenching discovery. >> last night we did discover two additional victims. tragically, one of the victims was the 7-year-old daughter of a city of miami firefighter. and it goes without saying that every night since this last wednesday has been immensely difficult for everybody, and in particular the families that have been impacted, but last night was uniquely different, it was truly different and more difficult for our first responders. >> she was just 7 years old. "the miami herald" is reporting that her father was there at the site supporting the recovery effort, but not actively digging. the firefighter and his brother, another firefighter have kept a vigil since tonight of the collapse staying at the site every day, and 200 officers s

either way, it is an end of an era. >> richard engel there at bagram airbase.n. interesting stuff brought up by richard. how is the pentagon responding this morning? what are you hearing from sources about these reports that there are those in afghanistan who are troubled, felt like it was rude, as engel pointed out there, that this exit was hasty and poorly communicated, in their view. >> so what this entire withdrawal process is shown, the u.s. does not trust the afghan government, the afghan partners they've been there, heard for years, standing shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand. it's clear they don't trust them with information like specifics when the u.s. is leaving specific bases, so if you look back to several weeks ago when the u.s. turned over the base at southern kandahar in afghanistan there were a series of small rocket attacks and mortars that came in on base that set a tone. there was a lot of concern about providing any specific information when the americans and nato allies would be leaving some of the bases. bagram as richard was showing th

it is not just bagram. the u.s.uating personnel from lots of bases over the last several days and weeks. the ultimate deadline for all u.s. troops to be out of here is september 11th. based on what's happened today and the last several days it looks like u.s. forces are going to be going well before the september 11th deadline. but they are not making a big show of it. this is not like the withdrawal from iraq when we were able to ride with the last convoy out and the u.s. military wanted to show the american public it was leaving, ending a costly war. there is quietly in a stealth way. there san active insurgency here, the taliban is armed and aggressive and the u.s. it seems wants to leave without antagonizing the taliban and coming under fire so they're packing up quietly, leaving, generally the military is putting you the its own images of the departure ceremony, not inviting large groups of journal is or virks, ps to witness the departure ceremonies. it's happening quietly. this after 20 years of being here in

doesn't have the use of bagram airlifted north of kabul. >> we handed bagram air force base over to thehans. it's an asset to protect us from terrorists. it counters russia, china and iran. >> we are going dark in afghanistan and there will be long-term consequences. >> in terms of the thousands of afghan translators and their families who faced death threats for working with the u.s. government, congressman mccall said they are negotiating to serve as a base as the u.s. processes their visa requests. >> up next the pandemic is easing and america is getting back to normal. why is the u.s. capitol still closed g to the public. and an update in surfside, florida. we will take you there when it happens. stay with us.or >> \m \m et relief fast. only tylenol rapid release gels have laser-drilled holes. they release medicine fast for fast pain relief. tylenol rapid release gels. flowers are fighters. they rthat's why thee fast alzheimer's association walk to end alzheimer's is full of them. because flowers find a way to break through. just like we will. join the fight at alz.org/walk >> ♪ ♪ >

. >>> just ahead, the closing of bagram air base and the end of the two decade war in afghanistan. >> pot keep athletes out of the olympics? we're going to discuss the aplight of gentleman carrie richardson with a three-time olympic gold medallist when we continue. e on flights, hotels and rental cars during priceline's freedom sale. and when you get a big deal... ...you feel like a big deal. with the freedom sale at priceline, every trip is a big deal. a lot of people think dealing with copd is a walk in the park. if i have something to help me breathe better, everything will be fun and nice. but i still have bad days flare-ups (coughs), which can permanently damage my lungs. my lungs need protection against flare-ups. so it's time to get real. because in the real world our lungs deserves the real protection of breztri. breztri gives you better breathing symptom improvement, and flare-up protection. it's the first and only copd medicine proven to reduce flare-ups by 52% breztri won't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden breathing problems. it is not for asthma. tell your doctor if you