ambassador afghanistan james cunningham having just served in kabul and left in december said i think under the circumstances the timeline is probably too short and the rate of withdrawal is too steep. former ambassador to iraq and afghanistan said i hope we will take the right decisions based on conditions and not on calendars. our presence in afghanistan will be reduced to kabul. presently in only one location one that retreated from the north, east and south of afghanistan will relinquish sharif to the drug runners and to abandon kandahar to the taliban. we have seen what fills that vacuum in syria and iraq. i think our former director put it into perspective how we should look at afghanistan. i quote should the american people think this is a hopeless? the last 13 years have showed us that the counter terrorism fight and protecting the homeland in this region is not hopeless. we've been very successful at stopping attacks from the region. i would flip it around from a homeland security perspective, i think it's close to hopeless to think that we can have that same success without

ambassador to afghanistan, james cunningham, having just served in kabul and left in december, said, quote, i think that under the circumstances, the timeline is probably too short and the rate of withdrawal is too steep. former ambassador to both iraq and afghanistan, ryan crocker, said, i hope we will take the right decisions on force levels going forward based on conditions, not on calendars. former commander of special operations command and the first navy s.e.a.l. to achieve the rank of four stars said, actual war is too dynamic to accommodate fixed models. so i would urge strategic and operational flexibility as we move forward in afghanistan. at a force size of 5,500, our force in afghanistan will be reduced to kabul. presently in only one location, one that retreats from the north, east and south of afghanistan, we'll relinquish the area to the drug runners yield to iranian influence and abandon kandahar to the taliban. the lack of presence creates a vacuum and we've seen what fills that vacuum in syria and iraq. the ungoverned spaces will allow terrorists to foment the same

ambassador to afghanistan, james cunningham, having just served in kabul and left in december, said, quote, i think that under the circumstances, the timeline is probably too short and the rate of withdrawal is too steep. former ambassador to both iraq and afghanistan, ryan crocker, said, i hope we will take the right decisions on force levels going forward based on conditions, not on calendars. former commander of special operations command and the first navy s.e.a.l. to achieve the rank of four stars said, actual war is too dynamic to accommodate fixed models. so i would urge strategic and operational flexibility as we move forward in afghanistan. at a force size of 4,500, our force in afghanistan will be reduced to kabul. presently in only one location one that retreats from the north, east and south of afghanistan, we'll relinquish the area to the drug runners yield to iranian influence and abandon kandahar to the taliban. the lack of presence creates a vacuum and week of seen what fills that vacuum in syria and iraq. the ungoverned spaces will allow terrorists to foe meant the s