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The Secret History of the U.S. Diplomatic Failure in Afghanistan

A trove of unreleased documents reveals a dispiriting record of misjudgment, hubris, and delusion that led to the fall of the Western-backed government.

Click to view the original at newyorker.com

Hasnain says:

Learnt a lot about history, politics, and contemporary affairs from this one. This quote though… (Baradar is the Taliban’s deputy PM)

“Two days later, Trump called Baradar. According to an official who listened to the exchange, Trump told him, “You guys are tough fighters.” Then Trump asked, “Do you need something from me?”

“We need to get prisoners released,” Baradar said, adding that he had heard Ghani would not coöperate. Trump said that he would tell Pompeo to press Ghani.”

Posted on 2021-12-10T21:09:28+0000