mike pompeo
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The Taliban has once again gained control of Afghanistan amid the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region after 20 years of occupation in a war that's cost hundreds of thousands of lives and nearly $1 trillion.
While a Taliban resurgence was expected in the region, officials hadn't expected their forces to advance so quickly, seizing control of the presidential palace in Kabul this weekend.
The development is an unmitigated foreign policy disaster for the Biden administration, but no American President in recent history is blameless in a war whose 20 years have proven to be completely ineffective at laying the groundwork for lasting stability in the region.
Former President Donald Trump has said Biden should "resign in disgrace," but Trump was wildly praised by the GOP for his so-called peace agreement with the Taliban, even inviting the group to Camp David on the week of September 11. The Trump plan would've withdrawn 5000 troops from the region by May of 2020.
In a Fox News interview, Trump's secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, faced questions from host Chris Wallace about the Trump administration's constant outreach to the Taliban.
Watch below.
Chris Wallace throws Mike Pompeo's past praise for the Taliban back in his face. "Do you regret giving the Taliban… https://t.co/GwS1tSYivh— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1629038784.0
Wallace asked:
"You were the first American secretary of state to ever meet with the Taliban, and you talked about how they had agreed to join us in the fight against terrorism. ... Do you regret giving the Taliban that legitimacy? Do you regret pressing the Afghan government to release 5,000 prisoners, which they did, some of whom are now back on the battlefield fighting with the Taliban?"
Pompeo responded:
"We never trusted the Taliban. You can ask them yourselves. We made abundantly clear if they did not live up to that piece of paper, to the words that they'd put on the ground, we weren't gonna allow them to just walk away from any deal that they'd struck, we were gonna go crush them."
People weren't convinced.
This is a good question but Pompeo’s response shouldn’t be allowed to stand without follow up. The Taliban broke it… https://t.co/LpyNZ1KJst— southpaw (@southpaw) 1629039589.0
Pompeo trying to make political capital out of the situation he helped to create. Good job to Chris Wallace for st… https://t.co/s4NV93XN1l— John Cassidy (@John Cassidy) 1629039948.0
This war has made fools of us all. End it. https://t.co/BjGzDhB1fD— Derek Summerville (@Derek Summerville) 1629040644.0
Mike claims “we crushed them”. Huh 🧐 https://t.co/SQ0pMR6wFn— Christine King (@Christine King) 1629040156.0
When your address permanently is the river of Denial 666 Screw Up lane https://t.co/DrrmkOLxW5— Free-Press The-Punohu-Report (@Free-Press The-Punohu-Report) 1629102220.0
Pompeo is the world’s foremost expert in explaining how he clearly meant exactly the opposite of what he clearly sa… https://t.co/2XBUzvfOkf— B. (@B.) 1629074873.0
Others praised Wallace for the tough question.
Chris Wallace, trying to live up to his dad - and doing a decent job of it. https://t.co/4Gvv6hFuw3— Where's Your Data? (@Where's Your Data?) 1629039249.0
Thank you Chris Wallace for reminding everyone that the Trump/Pompeo deal elevated the Taliban to a legitimate poli… https://t.co/r37fgbh2Kc— Artzthings 🌊🌴💉 (@Artzthings 🌊🌴💉) 1629040681.0
Good on Chris Wallace for bringing this up but all the people who watch Fox news are probably asking for is resigna… https://t.co/QUoyUfIOU6— Ben Diebold (@Ben Diebold) 1629058618.0
Biden will deliver remarks about the chaos in Afghanistan later this afternoon.