the president. there were a lot of people critical of the deal. we found no indication that the taliban had changed. a lot of people were upset. there was no guarantee for women's rights. no precondition of a cease-fire. the afghan government were not part of the negotiations. at the same time, there was a school of thought that says, listen, if you want to get out of the war, 18 years long, 2,400 servicemen killed, you need to sit down at the table with the taliban and the people capable of ending it with you and hash out a proper deal. there's concern there isn't a clear message from the white house of what they see the strategy going forward. >> one step forward, two steps back. clarissa ward, live for us in london. great context. congress returns from summer