Page 83 - Intelligence Failure News Today

Deteriorating situation and those briefings didnt go well. lawmakers were curious why administration had not an anticipated this rapid collapse and the timeline for the reconstituting of terrorists has moved up. >> does the white house look at this as an intelligence failure or logistics failure? what are they saying? >> this was not an intelligence failure per se. the intelligence was there. they knew based on the assessments the taliban was aiming for a complete military takeover of the countr...

Absence. carley: caroline, thank you. texas congressman michael mccall is the top republican on the house foreign affairs committee. he says the disaster in afghanistan isnt just an intelligence failure, its president bidens failure. listen. >> this will be a stain on this president and presidency and i think hell have blood on his hands. they totally blew this one, completely underestimated the strength of the taliban and yet the state department, secretary blinken, the politicos in the white h...

>> this is a crisis of untold proportions. this is an intelligence failure. we underestimated the taliban and overestimated the resolve of the afghan army. >> all they had to do was wait a few more months. what have had a much more orderly transition period would have had time to get them out of afghanistan. as it is now, we have americans who are stuck behind enemy lines. >> trace: lets bring in our panel. marie harf. before we get to any finger-pointing, i just want to use your expertise. we k...

There was a distinct possibility that kabul would fall to the taliban. it was not an inevitability. it was a possibility." "questions on whether or not this was an intelligence failure, they were contingency plans in place for any eventuality, including the quick fall of kabul. that is why they were positioned to deploy, as they have done." just a sample of what we have in front of us, circulating. >> trace: it is a mischaracterization because they say that they knew they had the ability to go i...

Basically are bullies and bullies when they dont get what they want they get very violent and very aggressive. and it was only -- its only going to be a matter of time before the taliban -- till somebody pushes back on the taliban and then well see i think their true colors emerge. >> 1:15 a.m., kabul, afghanistan. our man in kabul, richard engel. our long-time chief foreign correspondent. richard, everyone who knows and loves you at work, everyone watching, joins us in wishing you nothing but s...

Obamas own ambassador to afghanistan. who said that we handed the country over to the taliban. and i was very surprised how strong worded he said. he questioned the ability for joe biden to be commander in chief, these are obamas own people. >> what about the impact of what we left behind. congresswoman jackie speier from the san francisco bay area told msnbc this, earlier today. >> this is a crisis of untold proportions. and i would agree with richard. this is an intelligence failure. we undere...

Mccaffrey. as the chaotic situation in afghanistan deteriorates, big questions of how and where the system failed and where the u.s. got caught off guard about the countrys rapid collapse to taliban rule. this as were seeing images of people desperate to leave the country, climbing onto planes like this one in the hopes of getting on board. joining me is peter baker, chief white house correspondent for "the new york times," who is the first american journalist in american after 9/11, and john br...

His administration, secretary mike pompeo, they also bear very significant responsibility for this. >> reporter: biden also taking heat from democratic lawmakers, who said it would be dishonest to say that today is anything short of a disaster. biden says the u.s. will continue evacuating vulnerable. >> if they attack our personnel or disrupt our operation, the u.s. presence will be swift and the response will be swift and forceful. we will defend our people with devastating force if necessary. ...

That they anticipate from the taliban, you know its heartbreaking. it is depressing and its a failure. he needs to own that failure. hes the commander in chief. its fine to say the afghans didnt fight. thats true we invest ed $90 billion or so in the army and the police there folded immediately. that is true. you can blame the trump administration. hes the commander in chief now. he can pblame intelligence too and its a huge intelligence failure. in these moments, i think people respect presiden...

Personnel in kabul as the taliban is literally taking over. how -- just help us understand how that cannot be viewed as an intelligence threat. do you think its a failure of planning or logistics? what went wrong here? >> i would characterize it as government failure to see this. i dont think this is exclusively an intelligence failure. the big message here, pamela, to me is something, you know, were relearning after my war on southeast asia and that is we cant buy will to fight and the issue he...