WEBVTT 00:03.640 --> 00:06.530 Mhm Okay , good afternoon everybody . 00:07.040 --> 00:09.262 And it will start in just a few minutes 00:09.262 --> 00:11.596 late . Uh we are time constrained today . 00:11.596 --> 00:13.651 So um I'll pass it right over to the 00:13.651 --> 00:15.873 Secretary for opening comments . I will 00:15.873 --> 00:17.929 be moderating please uh limit follow 00:17.929 --> 00:20.096 ups if you can . Mr Secretary , thanks 00:20.096 --> 00:22.540 john , I'm going to speak briefly and 00:22.540 --> 00:24.651 then turn it over to the Chairman for 00:24.651 --> 00:27.660 an operational update . Let me start by 00:27.660 --> 00:30.280 saying that we remain laser focused 00:30.280 --> 00:33.770 right now on Hamid Karzai International 00:33.770 --> 00:36.940 Airport in Kabul and I'm doing 00:36.940 --> 00:39.160 everything that we can to continue 00:39.840 --> 00:42.860 evacuating americans allies , 00:42.870 --> 00:46.020 afghans who have worked 00:46.030 --> 00:48.790 alongside us and and also other 00:48.790 --> 00:51.460 courageous afghans at special risk . 00:52.540 --> 00:54.484 And to that end , I'm prioritizing 00:54.484 --> 00:58.220 three key concerns . First , the safety 00:58.220 --> 01:00.700 and security of our people and the 01:00.700 --> 01:02.811 people that were trying to evacuate . 01:04.340 --> 01:06.760 As the chairman will brief you , the 01:06.760 --> 01:08.871 final elements of additional military 01:08.871 --> 01:11.900 forces continue to flow into Kabul With 01:11.900 --> 01:15.260 about 4500 in place as we speak . 01:15.940 --> 01:18.162 They are trained and equipped to defend 01:18.162 --> 01:21.070 themselves and their operations . There 01:21.070 --> 01:23.237 have been no hostile interactions with 01:23.237 --> 01:25.790 the taliban and our lines of 01:25.790 --> 01:28.010 communication with taliban commanders 01:28.010 --> 01:30.860 remain open as they should be . 01:33.240 --> 01:35.700 My second focuses maintaining security 01:35.700 --> 01:39.310 at the airport itself in concert with 01:39.310 --> 01:41.550 forces from our allies . Our troops 01:41.550 --> 01:43.717 have set up defensive positions around 01:43.717 --> 01:46.610 the airport and the airport is able to 01:46.610 --> 01:50.050 function safely . Now . We don't take 01:50.050 --> 01:52.161 this for granted and I continue to be 01:52.161 --> 01:54.383 in daily contact with General Mackenzie 01:55.140 --> 01:57.196 and commanders on the ground to make 01:57.196 --> 01:59.307 sure that they have what they need to 01:59.307 --> 02:03.270 keep it safe . My third area of 02:03.270 --> 02:05.560 focus , of course is the pace 02:06.630 --> 02:09.180 increasing the flow of aircraft and 02:09.180 --> 02:12.430 people out of Kabul And we've flown out 02:12.430 --> 02:14.830 several 1000 since 15 August and our 02:14.830 --> 02:17.440 goal is to be able to increase our 02:17.440 --> 02:21.320 capacity every day going forward . And 02:21.320 --> 02:24.130 as we build out this capacity , we're 02:24.130 --> 02:26.186 working hand in glove with the State 02:26.186 --> 02:28.540 Department which is leading the whole 02:28.540 --> 02:30.770 of government effort to notify and 02:30.770 --> 02:32.900 process american citizens who are 02:32.900 --> 02:36.100 leaving and to urgently identify and 02:36.100 --> 02:39.260 process afghan applicants as well . 02:41.240 --> 02:43.462 We have dispatched small military teams 02:43.462 --> 02:45.684 to two of the airport's gates to assist 02:45.684 --> 02:47.740 state the State Department counselor 02:47.740 --> 02:51.100 efforts as they evaluate and process 02:51.110 --> 02:55.000 individuals seeking entry and we 02:55.000 --> 02:57.120 expect to be able to augment that 02:57.130 --> 02:59.660 capability in the coming days . 03:00.940 --> 03:03.110 This is truly a team effort across the 03:03.110 --> 03:05.780 inter agency and throughout all of this 03:06.340 --> 03:08.507 are U . S . Service members are making 03:08.507 --> 03:10.930 exceptional efforts under challenging 03:10.930 --> 03:13.440 circumstances and showing their 03:13.440 --> 03:17.080 humanity and their compassion . So I 03:17.080 --> 03:19.650 want to thank them for their skill and 03:19.660 --> 03:22.740 their professionalism . It's not lost 03:22.740 --> 03:25.620 on me that even as we conduct this very 03:25.620 --> 03:27.842 important mission , we also continue to 03:27.842 --> 03:30.560 help our fellow americans deal with a 03:30.560 --> 03:33.380 new surge in the pandemic and the 03:33.380 --> 03:35.750 citizens of Haiti deal with an 03:35.750 --> 03:37.417 aftermath the aftermath of an 03:37.417 --> 03:40.950 earthquake . Let me also thank General 03:40.950 --> 03:43.061 Mackenzie and Rear Admiral vase Lee , 03:43.061 --> 03:44.950 who is the commander of US forces 03:44.950 --> 03:47.690 forward And major general Donahue of 03:47.690 --> 03:49.940 the 82nd Airborne Division and 03:49.940 --> 03:51.996 Brigadier General Sullivan for their 03:51.996 --> 03:55.000 leadership at this critical time . It 03:55.000 --> 03:58.160 is making an enormous difference . They 03:58.160 --> 04:00.216 know as I do , that there's a lot of 04:00.216 --> 04:04.120 work to be done yet . Now all 04:04.120 --> 04:07.460 of this is very personal for me this is 04:07.460 --> 04:11.110 a war that I fought in and lead . I 04:11.110 --> 04:13.166 know the country , I know the people 04:13.166 --> 04:15.277 and I know those who fought alongside 04:15.277 --> 04:18.810 me . As I said , we had we have a moral 04:18.810 --> 04:21.088 obligation to help those who helped us . 04:21.840 --> 04:24.450 And I feel the urgency deeply . 04:25.940 --> 04:28.490 So I want to end with the word for the 04:28.490 --> 04:30.950 force in our military . 04:33.540 --> 04:36.130 I know that these are difficult days 04:36.130 --> 04:37.963 for those who lost loved ones in 04:37.963 --> 04:40.780 Afghanistan and for those who carry the 04:40.780 --> 04:44.770 wounds of war , especially now 04:44.780 --> 04:46.836 we mourn those who made the ultimate 04:46.836 --> 04:50.320 sacrifice in Afghanistan . Let me say 04:50.320 --> 04:52.487 to their families and loved ones , our 04:52.487 --> 04:56.050 hearts are with you And the US military 04:56.050 --> 04:59.900 stands as one to honor those 04:59.910 --> 05:02.650 we've lost . Now 05:03.540 --> 05:05.318 Afghan war veterans aren't some 05:05.318 --> 05:08.100 monolithic . I'm hearing strong views 05:08.100 --> 05:11.030 from all sides on on this issue and 05:11.030 --> 05:13.197 that's probably the way that it should 05:13.197 --> 05:16.010 be . What's important is that each of 05:16.010 --> 05:18.066 us will work our way through this in 05:18.066 --> 05:21.020 our own way and we need to respect that 05:21.030 --> 05:23.030 and we need to give one another the 05:23.030 --> 05:25.150 time and space to help do it . 05:27.540 --> 05:30.480 Our greatest asset as a nation is the 05:30.480 --> 05:32.258 extraordinary men and women who 05:32.258 --> 05:34.480 volunteer to keep us all safe and their 05:34.480 --> 05:38.230 families , we honor your service . We 05:38.230 --> 05:40.440 understand your sacrifice and we will 05:40.440 --> 05:43.360 never forget it . And so with that I'm 05:43.360 --> 05:45.416 gonna turn it over to General Milley 05:45.416 --> 05:47.304 who can talk about where we stand 05:47.304 --> 05:49.527 operationally . Good afternoon everyone 05:49.527 --> 05:51.638 and thank you Mr Secretary . What I'd 05:51.638 --> 05:53.527 like to do is give you an overall 05:53.527 --> 05:55.749 situation update as of today . And what 05:55.749 --> 05:57.693 our next steps are currently , the 05:57.693 --> 05:59.800 United States military is focused on 05:59.800 --> 06:02.030 the specific mission of conducting a 06:02.030 --> 06:04.800 noncombatant evacuation operation from 06:04.800 --> 06:07.770 Afghanistan . This is likely to be 06:08.010 --> 06:10.190 probably the second largest neo 06:10.290 --> 06:13.370 conducted by the United States . Our 06:13.370 --> 06:16.630 key tasks or to establish and maintain 06:16.680 --> 06:19.050 security at the Kabul International 06:19.050 --> 06:22.100 airport , defend the airport from 06:22.100 --> 06:25.640 attack , evacuate all american 06:25.640 --> 06:28.510 citizens from Afghanistan who desire to 06:28.510 --> 06:31.910 leave this country , evacuate any third 06:31.910 --> 06:34.010 country , national or allies and 06:34.010 --> 06:36.540 partners as designated by the Secretary 06:36.550 --> 06:39.520 of State , evacuate personnel with 06:39.520 --> 06:41.780 State Department designated special 06:41.790 --> 06:44.930 immigrant visas and evacuate any other 06:44.930 --> 06:47.170 evacuees that the State Department 06:47.180 --> 06:49.990 designates the president . United 06:49.990 --> 06:53.210 States made a decision to withdraw US 06:53.210 --> 06:56.260 forces from Afghanistan on april 14th . 06:56.940 --> 06:59.280 Since that date , we conducted a 06:59.280 --> 07:01.447 deliberate and responsible drawdown of 07:01.447 --> 07:04.290 U . S . Forces to less than 1000 with a 07:04.290 --> 07:06.960 specific task of securing the U . S . 07:06.960 --> 07:09.340 Embassy in our diplomatic presence in 07:09.340 --> 07:12.200 Afghanistan . Since then , the security 07:12.200 --> 07:15.730 situation rapidly degraded today . The 07:15.730 --> 07:17.730 situation is still very dangerous , 07:17.730 --> 07:21.330 very dynamic and very fluid and all of 07:21.330 --> 07:23.460 us can be proud of the soldiers , 07:23.460 --> 07:25.182 sailors , airmen , marines are 07:25.182 --> 07:27.071 executing this mission . They are 07:27.071 --> 07:29.790 currently in harm's way . That needs to 07:29.790 --> 07:31.846 be our focus . There'll be plenty of 07:31.846 --> 07:35.260 time to do A . R . S . But right now 07:35.740 --> 07:38.018 our mission is to secure that airfield , 07:38.018 --> 07:40.340 defend that airfield and evacuate all 07:40.340 --> 07:42.396 those who have been faithful to us . 07:42.740 --> 07:44.796 There'll be many postmortems on this 07:44.796 --> 07:47.360 topic . But right now is not that time . 07:47.840 --> 07:50.790 Right now there are troops at risk and 07:50.790 --> 07:52.957 we have the United States military and 07:52.957 --> 07:54.760 we fully intend to successfully 07:54.760 --> 07:57.450 evacuate all american citizens who want 07:57.450 --> 07:59.510 to get out of Afghanistan . All 07:59.510 --> 08:01.621 american citizens who want to get out 08:01.621 --> 08:04.030 of Afghanistan , They are priority 08:04.030 --> 08:07.090 number one . In addition , we intend to 08:07.090 --> 08:09.312 evacuate . Those who've been supporting 08:09.312 --> 08:11.312 us for years and we're not going to 08:11.312 --> 08:13.423 leave them behind and we will get out 08:13.423 --> 08:15.423 as many as possible . Our troops in 08:15.423 --> 08:17.090 Kabul are taking high risk to 08:17.090 --> 08:19.257 accomplish that mission . Every minute 08:19.257 --> 08:21.368 these troops are on the ground making 08:21.368 --> 08:23.368 difficult decisions with incredible 08:23.368 --> 08:25.610 skill , incredible bravery and 08:25.610 --> 08:27.940 incredible valor . Currently , the 08:27.940 --> 08:29.996 security situation at the airport is 08:29.996 --> 08:32.162 stable . However , there are threats , 08:32.200 --> 08:34.370 were closely monitoring those at any 08:34.370 --> 08:37.190 moment . They could happen . We can 08:37.190 --> 08:40.290 identify them if we identify them , we 08:40.290 --> 08:42.290 will take immediate military action 08:42.460 --> 08:44.820 without hesitation and according to the 08:44.820 --> 08:47.840 rules of engagement and the taliban and 08:47.850 --> 08:49.961 every other organization that country 08:49.961 --> 08:53.440 knows it . The taliban are in and 08:53.440 --> 08:55.810 around Kabul right now but they are not 08:55.810 --> 08:58.150 interfering with our operations through 08:58.150 --> 09:01.060 the State Department . The taliban are 09:01.060 --> 09:03.116 facilitating the safe passage to the 09:03.116 --> 09:05.940 airport for american citizens that is U . 09:05.940 --> 09:09.800 S . Passport holders . We also have a 09:09.800 --> 09:12.200 risk . As you saw the other day of 09:12.210 --> 09:15.400 unarmed innocent civilians massing on 09:15.400 --> 09:17.567 the airfield became a safety hazard to 09:17.567 --> 09:19.880 our airplanes or air crews and also to 09:19.880 --> 09:22.120 themselves . And we currently have that 09:22.120 --> 09:24.200 situation under control inside the 09:24.200 --> 09:27.180 airfield . As many other risks out 09:27.180 --> 09:29.720 there and the troops are dealing with 09:29.720 --> 09:32.290 those every single day in this volatile 09:32.300 --> 09:34.730 environment which can and likely will 09:34.730 --> 09:37.190 change rapidly . Let me make one 09:37.190 --> 09:39.620 comment on the intelligence because I'm 09:39.620 --> 09:41.842 seeing all over the news that there are 09:41.842 --> 09:44.920 warnings of a rapid collapse . I have 09:44.930 --> 09:47.950 previously said from this podium and in 09:47.950 --> 09:50.680 sworn testimony before Congress that 09:50.680 --> 09:52.624 the intelligence clearly indicated 09:52.624 --> 09:55.390 multiple scenarios were possible . One 09:55.390 --> 09:57.620 of those was an outright Taliban 09:57.620 --> 10:00.350 takeover following a rapid collapse of 10:00.350 --> 10:02.330 the Afghan security forces and the 10:02.330 --> 10:05.440 government . Another was a civil war 10:05.840 --> 10:08.450 and a third was a negotiated settlement . 10:09.440 --> 10:12.550 However , the time frame of a rapid 10:12.550 --> 10:16.130 collapse that was widely estimated and 10:16.130 --> 10:19.200 ranged from weeks to months and even 10:19.200 --> 10:22.350 years following our departure , 10:23.640 --> 10:26.200 there was nothing that I or anyone else 10:26.200 --> 10:29.760 saw That indicated a collapse of this 10:29.760 --> 10:32.750 army and this government in 11 days , 10:34.140 --> 10:36.520 Central Command submitted a variety of 10:36.520 --> 10:39.840 plans that were briefed and approved by 10:39.840 --> 10:41.640 the Joint Chiefs of Staff , the 10:41.640 --> 10:43.751 Secretary Defense and the President . 10:43.751 --> 10:45.307 These plans are coordinated 10:45.620 --> 10:48.660 synchronized and rehearsed to deal with 10:48.660 --> 10:51.170 these various scenarios . One of those 10:51.170 --> 10:53.500 contingencies is what we are executing 10:53.500 --> 10:56.510 right now . As I said before , there's 10:56.510 --> 10:58.399 plenty of time to do a RS and key 10:58.399 --> 11:00.621 lessons learned and to delve into these 11:00.621 --> 11:02.843 questions with great detail . But right 11:02.843 --> 11:05.120 now is not that time . Right now we 11:05.120 --> 11:07.231 have to focus on this mission because 11:07.231 --> 11:10.100 we have soldiers at risk And we also 11:10.110 --> 11:12.277 have American citizens and Afghans who 11:12.277 --> 11:14.860 supported us for 20 years also at risk . 11:15.340 --> 11:17.451 This is personal . We're going to get 11:17.451 --> 11:20.380 them out and we in uniform have a deep 11:20.380 --> 11:22.920 commitment to this mission . Now let me 11:22.920 --> 11:25.260 give you an operational update the 11:25.260 --> 11:27.149 security situation as I said , is 11:27.149 --> 11:29.440 currently secure at this time and since 11:29.440 --> 11:31.520 12 august we've deployed 12 or 11:31.520 --> 11:33.687 correction to the United States marine 11:33.687 --> 11:35.760 battalions , one Battalion from the 11:35.760 --> 11:38.350 Minnesota National Guard . All three of 11:38.350 --> 11:41.070 those were pre positioned in theater 11:41.080 --> 11:42.980 centcom A . R . As part of the 11:42.980 --> 11:45.540 contingency planning . In addition to 11:45.540 --> 11:48.490 that , we alerted Marshall and deployed 11:48.620 --> 11:50.842 the 82nd Airborne Division headquarters 11:50.842 --> 11:52.787 and a brigade of the 82nd Airborne 11:52.787 --> 11:55.390 Division Consisting of three Airborne 11:55.390 --> 11:57.334 Infantry Battalions and Associated 11:57.334 --> 11:59.960 Enablers . And finally there was an 11:59.960 --> 12:01.793 infantry battalion from the 10th 12:01.793 --> 12:03.960 mountain Division securing the U . S . 12:03.960 --> 12:06.520 Embassy in Kabul . In addition we are 12:06.520 --> 12:08.687 operating on the ground with a variety 12:08.687 --> 12:11.910 of special operations forces that in 12:11.910 --> 12:14.450 combination with the ground forces . We 12:14.450 --> 12:16.394 have some of the best soldiers and 12:16.394 --> 12:18.680 marines the world has ever seen In 12:18.680 --> 12:20.980 total . There are 20 us maneuver 12:20.980 --> 12:24.190 companies currently on the ground With 12:24.190 --> 12:26.580 about 4500 troops and the flow 12:26.580 --> 12:28.800 continues . The president has 12:28.800 --> 12:30.856 authorized , as you all know , up to 12:30.856 --> 12:33.690 6000 on top of them is the United 12:33.690 --> 12:35.890 States , Navy and Air Force . We have 12:35.890 --> 12:39.140 multiple squadrons of F eighteens , A V 12:39.140 --> 12:42.810 eight's , F 16 A C one thirties , 12:42.820 --> 12:46.320 B 52 S and M two nines . We have a 12:46.320 --> 12:48.209 significant amount of rotary wing 12:48.209 --> 12:50.760 aviation on the ground including attack 12:51.140 --> 12:54.310 and lift helicopters . In addition , we 12:54.310 --> 12:56.088 are working with our allies and 12:56.088 --> 12:58.199 partners . There are british infantry 12:58.199 --> 13:00.143 rifle companies along with british 13:00.143 --> 13:02.199 special forces on the ground working 13:02.199 --> 13:04.421 with us . There's also Turkish security 13:04.421 --> 13:06.643 force and there are other international 13:06.643 --> 13:08.810 Special operations forces . This force 13:08.810 --> 13:10.977 is capable of extracting a significant 13:10.977 --> 13:13.088 amount of people on U . S . Air Force 13:13.088 --> 13:15.180 aircraft . Right now we're averaging 13:15.180 --> 13:19.150 about 20 sorties of C17s Every 24 hours . 13:19.540 --> 13:21.762 We have the capability to significantly 13:21.762 --> 13:23.540 increase that throughput as the 13:23.540 --> 13:25.484 Department of State makes evacuees 13:25.620 --> 13:28.360 available . As the secretary said , 13:28.840 --> 13:30.951 We've already evacuated approximately 13:30.951 --> 13:33.160 5000 people and we intend to increase 13:33.160 --> 13:35.440 it . In addition to the military 13:35.440 --> 13:37.162 airflow , there's a variety of 13:37.162 --> 13:39.580 commercial and charter flights taking 13:39.580 --> 13:41.802 out evacuees on behalf of various other 13:41.802 --> 13:45.280 countries in NGos . The military side 13:45.280 --> 13:47.220 of the airfield is open and the 13:47.220 --> 13:49.331 civilian side of the airfield is also 13:49.331 --> 13:51.470 open and we intend to keep them both 13:51.470 --> 13:53.510 open for military commercial and 13:53.510 --> 13:56.510 charter flights . one Caveat on the 13:56.510 --> 13:58.690 civilian side , however , is that the 13:58.700 --> 14:00.756 air frames have to come in by visual 14:00.756 --> 14:02.990 flight rules only and a note um , is 14:03.000 --> 14:06.210 going out to all the air crews . The 14:06.210 --> 14:08.377 State Department is working to rapidly 14:08.377 --> 14:10.154 increase the flow of passengers 14:10.154 --> 14:12.210 available to get out on the aircraft 14:12.210 --> 14:14.321 and we are fully supporting them with 14:14.321 --> 14:16.488 our military personnel at the entrance 14:16.488 --> 14:18.154 gates and this highly dynamic 14:18.154 --> 14:20.043 environment , There's a number of 14:20.043 --> 14:21.988 unexpected challenges that can and 14:21.988 --> 14:24.154 likely will continue to occur . And we 14:24.154 --> 14:26.210 rely heavily on a talent , skill and 14:26.210 --> 14:28.154 training of our troops . We've got 14:28.154 --> 14:30.266 great people across all the ranks and 14:30.266 --> 14:32.321 services out there right now on this 14:32.321 --> 14:34.488 mission . In addition to Afghanistan , 14:34.488 --> 14:36.432 which is clearly our main effort , 14:36.432 --> 14:38.377 we're also conducting humanitarian 14:38.377 --> 14:40.488 assistance operations in Haiti In the 14:40.488 --> 14:42.321 aftermath of a 7.2 mag magnitude 14:42.321 --> 14:44.432 earthquake with a significant loss of 14:44.432 --> 14:46.488 life on the West Coast were fighting 14:46.488 --> 14:48.543 wildfires and we continue to conduct 14:48.543 --> 14:50.488 covid support and other operations 14:50.488 --> 14:52.690 around the world . As we reflect on 14:52.690 --> 14:54.912 these difficult and challenging times . 14:55.340 --> 14:58.040 Every soldier , sailor , airman , 14:58.040 --> 15:00.380 marine coast Guardsman was fought Or 15:00.380 --> 15:02.436 conducted operation in Afghanistan . 15:02.436 --> 15:05.010 Almost 800,000 should hold their head 15:05.010 --> 15:08.710 high For more than 20 years . We have 15:08.710 --> 15:10.988 prevented an attack on the US homeland . 15:11.740 --> 15:15.360 2448 lost our lives . 15:16.240 --> 15:19.450 20722 were wounded in action 15:20.120 --> 15:23.190 and many others suffered the unseen 15:23.190 --> 15:26.160 wounds of war to each of them . 15:27.040 --> 15:29.720 I want you to know personally that your 15:29.720 --> 15:32.960 service mattered as the secretary said 15:33.640 --> 15:36.060 for both . He and I this is personal 15:36.440 --> 15:38.551 and I know it's personal for each and 15:38.551 --> 15:42.140 every one of you , thank you . Okay , 15:42.140 --> 15:44.251 we'll go to questions bob . Thank you 15:44.251 --> 15:46.490 john I have a question for you two 15:46.490 --> 15:49.480 gentlemen . If I may Mr Secretary , you 15:49.480 --> 15:51.702 mentioned the urgency of ramping up the 15:51.702 --> 15:54.510 face of the evacuation . Uh so you have 15:54.510 --> 15:56.399 a safe passage agreement with the 15:56.399 --> 15:59.320 Taliban . But in fact in some cases , 15:59.330 --> 16:02.200 american citizens afghans who are at 16:02.200 --> 16:04.440 risk or who are being advised to go to 16:04.440 --> 16:06.384 the airport unable to get into the 16:06.384 --> 16:08.551 airport because of taliban checkpoints 16:08.551 --> 16:11.300 and so forth . Uh So are you 16:11.300 --> 16:13.522 considering other ways that you can get 16:13.522 --> 16:15.578 around that problem by for example , 16:15.578 --> 16:17.689 sending forces out beyond the airport 16:17.689 --> 16:20.430 to collect people and bring them them 16:20.430 --> 16:24.050 into the airport . If I may ask 16:24.060 --> 16:27.220 General Milley with the rapid collapse 16:27.220 --> 16:30.180 of the afghan forces , there's large 16:30.180 --> 16:32.640 amounts of weaponry that are kind of 16:32.650 --> 16:35.080 out there now that were either 16:35.080 --> 16:37.530 surrendered or abandoned by the afghan 16:37.530 --> 16:39.530 forces or otherwise captured by the 16:39.530 --> 16:42.500 taliban . Are there ways you can , are 16:42.500 --> 16:44.710 you considering ways that you might 16:44.720 --> 16:48.120 destroy some of that equipment uh to 16:48.120 --> 16:50.120 avoid it falling into the taliban's 16:50.120 --> 16:53.580 hands ? Thanks bob . In terms of 16:53.580 --> 16:56.000 whether or not we intend to send forces 16:56.000 --> 16:59.840 outside of of the airfield to 16:59.850 --> 17:03.290 collect up american citizens or 17:03.300 --> 17:07.130 afghans who are special immigrant visa 17:07.140 --> 17:10.830 applicants . Uh the forces that we have 17:10.840 --> 17:13.200 are are focused on security of the 17:13.200 --> 17:15.311 airfield and you know , how important 17:15.311 --> 17:17.422 that is . And you know , what happens 17:17.422 --> 17:20.340 uh If we if we lose uh the ability to 17:20.340 --> 17:24.310 provide that security . Uh and 17:24.310 --> 17:26.477 so I don't want to detract from that . 17:26.477 --> 17:28.532 And we have to make sure that we can 17:28.532 --> 17:30.643 not only secure the airfield , but as 17:30.643 --> 17:32.754 the chairman said , defend it as well 17:32.754 --> 17:34.866 because there are a number of threats 17:34.866 --> 17:38.270 uh still in the in the environment . Uh 17:38.740 --> 17:40.880 I certainly don't want to do anything 17:40.880 --> 17:43.320 to make the air feel less safe and and 17:43.320 --> 17:46.320 we won't do that . But we will continue 17:46.320 --> 17:49.450 to coordinate deconflict 17:49.460 --> 17:52.380 with with the taliban and make sure 17:52.380 --> 17:54.880 that uh those folks , those those 17:54.890 --> 17:57.660 people that need to get to the airfield 17:58.140 --> 18:01.980 have the right credentials uh to to 18:01.980 --> 18:05.030 ensure passage . And and the taliban 18:05.040 --> 18:07.320 has been checking those credentials and 18:07.330 --> 18:09.441 if they have them , they have allowed 18:09.441 --> 18:12.390 them to pass so on the equipment . But 18:12.390 --> 18:14.446 we obviously have capabilities . But 18:14.446 --> 18:16.430 I'd prefer not to discuss any 18:16.430 --> 18:18.597 operations other than what we're doing 18:18.597 --> 18:20.374 right now in order to get their 18:20.374 --> 18:22.541 evacuation out and get that complete . 18:22.541 --> 18:24.708 And then there'll be another time when 18:24.708 --> 18:26.986 we can discuss future operations , huh ? 18:26.986 --> 18:29.152 Barb I would like to press both of you 18:29.152 --> 18:31.263 in the same points . General Milley , 18:31.263 --> 18:33.374 you say in your statement that one of 18:33.374 --> 18:35.541 your tasks is to evacuate all american 18:35.541 --> 18:37.763 citizens from Afghanistan who desire to 18:37.763 --> 18:40.880 leave . There are americans clearly all 18:40.880 --> 18:42.991 over Kabul . There maybe americans in 18:42.991 --> 18:46.230 other parts of the country . How can 18:46.240 --> 18:49.610 the U . S . The pentagon live up to 18:49.620 --> 18:52.880 that task of evacuating all 18:52.890 --> 18:55.360 americans because we continue to see 18:55.370 --> 18:57.680 the violence just outside the airport . 18:57.690 --> 19:00.480 And how would you get them around the 19:00.480 --> 19:03.580 country unless you go get them ? Well , 19:03.590 --> 19:06.110 two things , Barbara one is State 19:06.110 --> 19:08.277 Department , as you know , as I said , 19:08.277 --> 19:10.150 is working with the taliban to 19:10.150 --> 19:12.180 facilitate safe passage of american 19:12.180 --> 19:14.347 citizens , U . S . Passport holders to 19:14.347 --> 19:17.350 the airport . Um and um that's the 19:17.350 --> 19:19.461 primary means . And under the current 19:19.461 --> 19:21.406 conditions , uh that's the primary 19:21.406 --> 19:23.628 effort . We have capability to do other 19:23.628 --> 19:25.683 things if necessary . Well can I ask 19:25.683 --> 19:27.850 you what that means ? Because you also 19:27.850 --> 19:29.961 said there were international special 19:29.961 --> 19:32.072 forces there that have the capability 19:32.072 --> 19:34.350 to extract . And those words suggest 19:34.350 --> 19:36.930 very clearly in the military realm , 19:37.090 --> 19:39.220 you would go get people . Well that 19:39.220 --> 19:41.220 would be a policy decision . And if 19:41.220 --> 19:43.387 directed we have capabilities that can 19:43.387 --> 19:45.442 execute whatever were directed her . 19:45.442 --> 19:47.770 Thank you . And I would draw a 19:47.780 --> 19:50.760 distinction bar between extracting 19:51.240 --> 19:54.600 uh someone in an in extremist 19:54.610 --> 19:58.250 condition or circumstance versus going 19:58.250 --> 20:00.560 out and collecting up large numbers of 20:00.770 --> 20:02.603 american citizens . You have the 20:02.603 --> 20:04.437 capability to go out and collect 20:04.437 --> 20:06.330 americans . We don't have the 20:06.330 --> 20:08.330 capability to go out and collect up 20:08.330 --> 20:10.660 large numbers of people . Bar 20:12.440 --> 20:14.850 we go ahead for both of you . If I 20:14.850 --> 20:17.710 could You have 5000 20:19.040 --> 20:20.929 U . S . Military personnel on the 20:20.929 --> 20:22.970 ground securing the area ? You have 20:22.970 --> 20:24.820 small groups potentially taliban 20:24.830 --> 20:27.560 fighters outside there for holding up 20:28.040 --> 20:30.910 potentially the second largest neo that 20:30.920 --> 20:32.940 could be undertaken . You have the 20:32.940 --> 20:35.150 capability to get there . But how do 20:35.150 --> 20:37.970 you get those people inside so that 20:37.980 --> 20:40.202 they can actually get on those planes ? 20:40.340 --> 20:42.680 And both of you have served in major 20:42.680 --> 20:45.560 command roles inside Afghanistan ? Did 20:45.560 --> 20:48.150 you not see the possibility that the 20:48.160 --> 20:50.360 Afghan security forces were not up to 20:50.360 --> 20:52.950 this fight ? Um 20:54.240 --> 20:56.580 We continue to work with with the State 20:56.580 --> 21:00.170 Department uh officials on the ground 21:00.640 --> 21:04.430 uh to improve uh the procedures 21:04.440 --> 21:07.110 uh you know at the entry points to make 21:07.110 --> 21:09.760 sure that we can speed up the process 21:09.760 --> 21:11.980 of getting people in and move them 21:11.980 --> 21:15.400 onward and and so a state is deploying 21:15.400 --> 21:19.010 more uh consular officers to be able to 21:19.020 --> 21:22.200 help with that as we stated her as I 21:22.200 --> 21:24.370 stated earlier , we're going to push 21:24.370 --> 21:27.160 more military assistance down to the 21:27.160 --> 21:30.760 entry points to facilitate uh these 21:30.760 --> 21:33.460 efforts , but We're really working hard 21:33.470 --> 21:36.570 uh to get as many people through as 21:36.570 --> 21:38.900 possible . And quite frankly we're not , 21:38.910 --> 21:41.130 it's obvious we're not close to where 21:41.130 --> 21:43.520 we want to be in terms of getting the 21:43.520 --> 21:45.631 numbers through . So we're gonna work 21:45.631 --> 21:47.853 that 24 hours a day , seven days a week 21:47.853 --> 21:50.760 and we're gonna get everyone that we 21:50.760 --> 21:54.520 can possibly evacuate evacuated and 21:54.520 --> 21:57.250 I'll do that as long as we possibly can 21:57.260 --> 21:59.427 until the clock runs out or we run out 21:59.427 --> 22:03.240 of capability . Uh and also about 22:03.240 --> 22:05.730 the Afghan security forces ? Did you 22:05.740 --> 22:07.740 feel that they were ever up to this 22:07.740 --> 22:10.018 fight ? Or did you not see this coming , 22:10.018 --> 22:12.240 that they were not up to the what stood 22:12.240 --> 22:14.296 behind this podium and said that the 22:14.296 --> 22:16.518 Afghan security forces had the capacity 22:16.518 --> 22:18.518 and by that , I mean , they had the 22:18.518 --> 22:20.740 training , the size , the capability to 22:20.740 --> 22:22.907 defend their country . This comes down 22:22.907 --> 22:25.129 to an issue of will and leadership . Um 22:25.129 --> 22:27.129 and no , I did not . Nor did anyone 22:27.129 --> 22:29.129 else see a collapse of an army that 22:29.129 --> 22:31.560 size in 11 days address . Thank you . 22:32.220 --> 22:34.880 31st . Is the ended at what point does 22:34.880 --> 22:36.880 the military need to start thinking 22:36.880 --> 22:38.602 about and carrying out its own 22:38.602 --> 22:40.769 retrograde to meet that deadline ? And 22:40.769 --> 22:42.880 secondly , do you believe , or do you 22:42.880 --> 22:44.991 regret not starting the evacuation of 22:44.991 --> 22:47.213 bitter or even by a day or two , to get 22:47.213 --> 22:49.420 ahead of the curve ? So that's a great 22:49.420 --> 22:51.476 question . At what point do we start 22:51.476 --> 22:54.180 thinking about having to retrograde our 22:54.180 --> 22:57.280 own capabilities ? Uh That's uh that's 22:57.290 --> 22:59.401 actually the point before we put them 22:59.401 --> 23:01.800 in there . Uh We know that we got to 23:01.800 --> 23:04.920 have the right mix of capabilities on 23:04.920 --> 23:07.142 the on the ground . Uh We don't want to 23:07.142 --> 23:11.050 put uh excessive uh materials 23:11.050 --> 23:13.272 on the ground that they're not relevant 23:13.272 --> 23:15.990 to what we're doing . Uh And uh and we 23:15.990 --> 23:19.610 have to develop a detailed plan uh 23:19.620 --> 23:22.480 to to uh retrograde our equipment and 23:22.480 --> 23:25.050 our people and synchronize that plan 23:25.050 --> 23:27.550 with our efforts to get as many people 23:27.550 --> 23:31.060 out as fast as we can uh you know with 23:31.060 --> 23:33.282 the time that we have available so that 23:33.282 --> 23:35.449 that that work is uh uh it's something 23:35.449 --> 23:37.449 that we started thinking about very 23:37.449 --> 23:39.671 early on and that's something that will 23:39.671 --> 23:39.530 continue to think about and develop 23:39.540 --> 23:41.790 detailed plans for and regretting not 23:41.790 --> 23:44.012 starting the evacuation even a few days 23:44.012 --> 23:47.330 earlier . Who's that for injuries ? 23:47.440 --> 23:51.060 Either one What , 23:51.440 --> 23:53.660 you know , we make plans for a number 23:53.660 --> 23:55.771 of things and and clearly as chairman 23:55.771 --> 23:59.270 pointed out , uh we uh as we did 23:59.270 --> 24:01.190 detailed planning throughout , we 24:01.190 --> 24:04.350 recognize that there might be a point 24:04.350 --> 24:06.628 in time when we have to conduct a Neil . 24:06.628 --> 24:08.980 So we positioned all the all the right 24:08.990 --> 24:11.323 forces in theatre to be able to do that . 24:11.340 --> 24:13.860 We put forces on standby in the United 24:13.860 --> 24:16.800 States to support that . And of course 24:16.810 --> 24:20.280 uh you know , we we also did uh were in 24:20.280 --> 24:23.740 support of the of the 24:23.750 --> 24:27.570 state led S . I . V . Process I . 24:27.570 --> 24:30.830 Ve applicant process throughout . So in 24:30.830 --> 24:33.460 terms of you know , doing everything 24:33.460 --> 24:35.560 that we could as at the at the right 24:35.560 --> 24:37.560 time , I think I think we have been 24:37.560 --> 24:39.400 been pretty prudent in terms of 24:39.410 --> 24:41.600 thinking ahead and planning for 24:41.600 --> 24:45.490 contingencies and we're executing uh a 24:45.500 --> 24:48.770 one of those plans right now . Holy 24:49.740 --> 24:52.080 this question is for both of you and I 24:52.090 --> 24:54.540 like for both of you to answer . Um It 24:54.540 --> 24:56.596 seems like I know we keep harping on 24:56.596 --> 24:58.762 the same thing , but it feels like the 24:58.762 --> 25:00.873 video is not matching the audio right 25:00.873 --> 25:03.760 now . If boring , it seems to me like 25:03.770 --> 25:05.992 barring a lobotomy by the taliban , you 25:05.992 --> 25:09.680 have three pathways ahead of you . Uh 25:09.690 --> 25:11.857 One , you can expand the perimeter and 25:11.857 --> 25:14.830 establish a quarter into kabul to get 25:14.840 --> 25:17.750 our afghan allies out . Two , you can 25:17.750 --> 25:20.960 extend the August 31 deadline up 25:20.960 --> 25:23.060 withdrawing or three . You can just 25:23.060 --> 25:25.240 leave the tens of thousands of Afghans 25:25.240 --> 25:27.500 who helped us over the past 20 years 25:27.510 --> 25:30.400 behind . Which one is it going to be ? 25:33.440 --> 25:35.710 First of all ? As I said , Helene , 25:35.710 --> 25:37.930 we're gonna evacuate everybody that we 25:37.930 --> 25:41.520 can physically possibly evacuate . And 25:41.520 --> 25:45.430 we'll conduct these uh 25:45.440 --> 25:47.870 this process for as long as we possibly 25:47.870 --> 25:51.370 can , we will continue to deconflict 25:51.380 --> 25:54.370 issues with with the taliban . And we 25:54.370 --> 25:57.500 will stay focused on securing uh the 25:57.510 --> 25:59.890 the airfield . We cannot afford to 25:59.890 --> 26:03.490 either not defend that airfield or or 26:03.500 --> 26:06.200 not have an airfield that secure where 26:06.200 --> 26:08.130 we have hundreds or thousands of 26:08.130 --> 26:11.480 civilians that can access uh the 26:11.480 --> 26:13.647 airfield at will and put our forces at 26:13.647 --> 26:15.591 risk . But that doesn't answer the 26:15.591 --> 26:17.813 question . I mean , you're still saying 26:17.813 --> 26:19.980 you're focused on the airfield . These 26:19.980 --> 26:22.036 people can't get into the airfield . 26:22.036 --> 26:24.258 Well , we're gonna do everything we can 26:24.258 --> 26:26.770 to continue to try to deconflict and 26:27.140 --> 26:30.590 and create uh passage ways for them to 26:30.590 --> 26:32.757 get to the airfield . I don't have the 26:32.757 --> 26:34.990 capability to go out and and extend 26:34.990 --> 26:38.250 operations currently into uh into 26:38.260 --> 26:41.860 uh Kabul . And where do you take that ? 26:41.870 --> 26:44.300 I mean , how far can you extend into 26:44.300 --> 26:47.530 Kabul and uh and how long does it take 26:47.530 --> 26:49.641 to flow those forces in to be able to 26:49.641 --> 26:51.586 do that . So it sounds like you're 26:51.586 --> 26:53.697 saying this depends on diplomacy with 26:53.697 --> 26:55.752 the taliban . That's it . That's our 26:55.752 --> 26:57.974 only option is getting them to agree to 26:57.974 --> 27:01.020 do this . Well let me add something 27:01.020 --> 27:04.140 here . Helene , we got a couple of uh 27:04.150 --> 27:07.370 entry control points set up . Um North 27:07.370 --> 27:10.190 one east one and a third one at Abbey 27:10.190 --> 27:12.580 Gate . Uh They're currently man with 27:12.580 --> 27:14.747 consular officers Marines has put this 27:14.747 --> 27:16.969 all part of the perimeter messages have 27:16.969 --> 27:18.740 gone out by various means of 27:18.740 --> 27:20.962 communication from the State Department 27:20.962 --> 27:22.962 to american citizens and others and 27:22.962 --> 27:25.184 they're being told to go to those gates 27:25.184 --> 27:27.770 right now we're processing it about I 27:27.770 --> 27:29.881 think the last report is about 100 20 27:29.881 --> 27:31.937 130 an hour , something like that at 27:31.937 --> 27:33.937 the north , about 343 150 an hour , 27:33.937 --> 27:36.159 something like that at the South gate . 27:36.159 --> 27:38.270 So right now there's a steady flow of 27:38.270 --> 27:41.130 people um Now as that goes on I think 27:41.130 --> 27:43.352 those numbers will continue to grow and 27:43.352 --> 27:46.490 as those messages go out um and I would 27:46.490 --> 27:48.712 tell you that for the american citizens 27:48.712 --> 27:52.630 passport holders uh the taliban and the 27:52.630 --> 27:54.408 State Department working out of 27:54.408 --> 27:56.630 facility . I got it but they're working 27:56.630 --> 27:58.686 out a facilitation measures so those 27:58.686 --> 28:00.630 numbers are likely to grow for the 28:00.630 --> 28:02.741 others . Uh State Department is still 28:02.741 --> 28:04.741 working through exactly getting the 28:04.741 --> 28:06.870 procedures for uh for the evacuees to 28:06.870 --> 28:09.270 get to the airfield . Well get john 28:10.240 --> 28:12.700 Defense Secretary Austin . How many US 28:12.700 --> 28:15.750 taxpayer funded military aircraft have 28:15.750 --> 28:17.750 been flown out of the country . And 28:17.750 --> 28:19.917 what are you doing to get those back ? 28:19.917 --> 28:21.917 We've heard of Afghan pilots taking 28:21.917 --> 28:24.028 those planes to third countries . And 28:24.028 --> 28:26.028 General Milley , you talk about the 28:26.028 --> 28:28.250 intelligence reports and you said there 28:28.250 --> 28:30.472 wasn't anything suggesting 11 days that 28:30.472 --> 28:32.380 the Kabul would fall . But you do 28:32.380 --> 28:34.158 mention there were some reports 28:34.158 --> 28:36.510 suggesting it could fall apart in weeks 28:36.570 --> 28:39.590 if so . Why did you abandon the bagram 28:39.600 --> 28:41.600 airfield ? Why did U . S . Military 28:41.600 --> 28:44.960 pullout given the uncertainty ? 28:45.740 --> 28:49.740 Yeah . Good . Uh jen in terms 28:49.740 --> 28:50.450 of uh 28:56.040 --> 28:58.690 the aircraft that have been flown out 28:58.700 --> 29:00.922 that you that you mentioned earlier , I 29:00.922 --> 29:02.978 have received reports of a number of 29:02.978 --> 29:04.644 aircraft that were flown into 29:04.644 --> 29:07.380 Uzbekistan and Tajikistan . Exactly how 29:07.380 --> 29:10.900 many ? I don't have firm rumbles on in 29:10.900 --> 29:12.956 terms of what we're doing about them 29:12.956 --> 29:15.500 currently . Uh Right now jen we're 29:15.500 --> 29:18.100 focused on the airfield and getting 29:18.100 --> 29:20.470 people out safely . And so we're going 29:20.470 --> 29:22.760 to take that issue up at a later date 29:22.770 --> 29:24.881 and we're going to continue to try to 29:24.881 --> 29:26.992 gain greater fidelity on the issue as 29:26.992 --> 29:29.048 well . And I'm your question Barbara 29:29.048 --> 29:31.048 securing Barbara , you know Big Bar 29:31.048 --> 29:33.326 Grammys , you've been there many times . 29:33.326 --> 29:33.040 Security bargain is a is a significant 29:33.040 --> 29:35.290 level of military effort and forces uh 29:35.290 --> 29:37.310 And it would also require external 29:37.320 --> 29:39.542 support from the afghan security forces 29:39.542 --> 29:41.970 are task given to us that the our task 29:41.970 --> 29:44.610 was to protect the embassy uh in order 29:44.620 --> 29:46.610 for the embassy personnel uh to 29:46.610 --> 29:48.721 continue to function with the council 29:48.721 --> 29:50.943 service and all that . Uh if we were to 29:50.943 --> 29:53.166 keep both problem and the embassy going 29:53.166 --> 29:55.277 uh that would be a significant number 29:55.277 --> 29:55.230 of military forces That would have 29:55.230 --> 29:57.740 exceeded what we had or stayed the same 29:57.750 --> 29:59.861 or exceeded what we had . So I had to 29:59.861 --> 30:01.917 collapse one of the other . Uh and a 30:01.917 --> 30:03.972 decision was made . The proposal was 30:03.972 --> 30:05.750 made from centcom commander the 30:05.750 --> 30:05.640 commander on the ground scotty miller 30:05.640 --> 30:07.696 to go ahead and collapse by Graham . 30:07.696 --> 30:09.807 That was all brief and approved . And 30:09.807 --> 30:12.029 we estimated that the risk of going out 30:12.029 --> 30:14.140 of Kailua where the risk of going out 30:14.140 --> 30:16.307 of bagram about the same . So going to 30:16.307 --> 30:18.529 college is uh , was estimated to be the 30:18.529 --> 30:20.696 better tactical solution in accordance 30:20.696 --> 30:22.751 with the mission set that were given 30:22.751 --> 30:24.696 and in accordance With getting the 30:24.696 --> 30:26.880 troops down to about a 600 600 700 30:26.880 --> 30:28.920 Number . Okay , we got time for two 30:28.920 --> 30:31.142 more and I haven't got to the phones at 30:31.142 --> 30:32.976 all . So go to dan them off from 30:32.976 --> 30:35.740 Washington post . Yes . Thank thank you 30:35.750 --> 30:37.694 general . Just to follow up on the 30:37.694 --> 30:41.650 bottom versus hk a question . Each 30:41.650 --> 30:44.340 car has a single runway with the 30:44.340 --> 30:46.507 commercial airport making it much more 30:46.507 --> 30:48.729 difficult to defend that runway . We've 30:48.729 --> 30:50.784 already seen that this week , bagram 30:50.784 --> 30:52.951 has two runways . It would have been a 30:52.951 --> 30:54.840 lot easier to protect people Once 30:54.840 --> 30:56.673 inside . Is there any thought of 30:56.673 --> 30:58.729 retaking bagram in order to expedite 30:58.729 --> 31:01.060 this evacuation ? And if not why not ? 31:01.540 --> 31:05.100 Thank you . Um I won't do that . Good 31:05.100 --> 31:07.322 question . Great question . But I'm not 31:07.322 --> 31:09.489 gonna discuss branches and Sequels off 31:09.489 --> 31:11.544 of our current operation . I'll just 31:11.544 --> 31:13.870 leave it at that . Okay . And I think 31:13.870 --> 31:15.981 the last one for today will go to you 31:15.981 --> 31:18.148 court General Milley . You keep saying 31:18.148 --> 31:20.314 that no one expected a collapse of the 31:20.314 --> 31:22.370 Afghan government and military in 11 31:22.370 --> 31:24.481 days . But the reality is the Taliban 31:24.481 --> 31:26.592 offensive began weeks ago . They were 31:26.592 --> 31:26.570 threatening Kandahar a month ago 31:26.570 --> 31:28.650 already . So the question is if you 31:28.650 --> 31:30.428 both think you had such a moral 31:30.428 --> 31:32.539 obligation to the afghans afghans who 31:32.539 --> 31:34.372 supported the military and State 31:34.372 --> 31:36.428 Department For 20 years . Should you 31:36.428 --> 31:38.428 have pushed harder when the Taliban 31:38.428 --> 31:40.650 offensive began to get these people out 31:40.650 --> 31:42.706 and they see us , they may not be in 31:42.706 --> 31:44.761 this situation that they're in right 31:44.761 --> 31:46.983 now . And then also if there is this US 31:46.983 --> 31:49.150 military Taliban deconfliction process 31:49.150 --> 31:51.780 that's going on right now , Have you 31:51.780 --> 31:54.270 been asking them to allow the afghans 31:54.740 --> 31:56.910 through ? And have they as the taliban 31:56.920 --> 31:59.880 denied that that request ? Is is that 31:59.880 --> 32:01.991 why there's not some effort the State 32:01.991 --> 32:04.158 Department put out a embassy put out a 32:04.158 --> 32:06.280 statement today saying that there was 32:06.290 --> 32:08.346 us couldn't provide any safe passage 32:08.346 --> 32:10.568 for these afghans . Is that because the 32:10.568 --> 32:12.346 taliban won't allow that in his 32:12.346 --> 32:14.346 deconfliction . There's a uh it's a 32:14.346 --> 32:15.957 pretty , it's a very dynamic 32:15.957 --> 32:18.270 environment as you would imagine . And 32:18.280 --> 32:20.447 of course there there have been things 32:20.447 --> 32:22.558 that have occurred that uh , that you 32:22.558 --> 32:25.040 know , we do hear reports of people 32:25.050 --> 32:27.510 getting turned away from from by 32:27.510 --> 32:29.910 checkpoints . Uh we've gone back and 32:29.910 --> 32:31.920 tried to and and reinforced to the 32:31.920 --> 32:34.890 taliban that if they have credentials , 32:34.890 --> 32:37.080 they need to be allow through . And so 32:37.080 --> 32:39.410 that's working better than it was . And 32:39.420 --> 32:42.440 and quite frankly , we have uh , you 32:42.440 --> 32:45.360 know , the major issue right now is 32:45.360 --> 32:47.471 process processing the people who are 32:47.471 --> 32:50.600 there uh as as fast as we possibly can . 32:50.610 --> 32:53.090 Uh it's not a dearth of people , you 32:53.090 --> 32:56.280 know , getting there . It's just uh 32:56.290 --> 32:58.401 being able to move the folks that are 32:58.401 --> 33:00.623 there through . Uh , so that so that we 33:00.623 --> 33:02.679 can get them on aircraft , but there 33:02.679 --> 33:04.630 have been some , some unfortunate 33:04.630 --> 33:06.574 incidents that I've been uh , I've 33:06.574 --> 33:08.741 learned about and uh , and we continue 33:08.741 --> 33:10.852 to work to try to deconflict and make 33:10.852 --> 33:13.074 sure that there is safe passage for the 33:13.074 --> 33:15.130 people that are trying to get to the 33:15.130 --> 33:17.352 airport , Have you asked the taliban or 33:17.352 --> 33:19.463 has the military asked the taliban to 33:19.463 --> 33:18.650 allow these afghans through ? And 33:18.650 --> 33:21.180 they've declined . We continue to work 33:21.180 --> 33:24.930 that yes , we have , we have gone back 33:24.930 --> 33:28.320 and emphasize that that , that uh 33:28.330 --> 33:30.560 people who are trying to get to the 33:30.560 --> 33:34.110 airport and have the have the uh , the 33:34.120 --> 33:36.176 right credentials need to be allowed 33:36.176 --> 33:37.953 through right now , the airport 33:37.953 --> 33:39.953 represents safety to a lot of these 33:39.953 --> 33:42.120 people . As the taliban are in Kabul , 33:42.120 --> 33:44.176 they're worried that the longer they 33:44.176 --> 33:46.287 wait to get there is a secure airport 33:46.287 --> 33:48.120 even if it means they wait there 33:48.120 --> 33:48.020 several days to get on a flight . So 33:48.020 --> 33:50.670 that's why there's this you know this 33:50.680 --> 33:52.736 for notices um to get them through . 33:52.736 --> 33:54.791 And then also if you could also just 33:54.791 --> 33:56.958 the question of should you have pushed 33:56.958 --> 33:56.660 harder when it was clear that this 33:56.660 --> 33:58.827 Taliban offensive was gaining momentum 33:58.827 --> 34:00.938 a month ago down towards Kandahar and 34:00.938 --> 34:04.250 other places . Well like I said up 34:04.250 --> 34:06.361 front there's gonna be plenty of time 34:06.361 --> 34:08.361 for a ours right now . Focus on the 34:08.361 --> 34:10.583 mission focused on these people getting 34:10.583 --> 34:12.806 out american citizens , the S . I . V . 34:12.806 --> 34:15.028 S , others afghans at risk . Uh there's 34:15.028 --> 34:14.830 gonna be plenty of time to talk about 34:14.840 --> 34:17.062 regrets and pushed harder and all these 34:17.062 --> 34:19.284 other kinds intel assessment etcetera , 34:19.284 --> 34:21.396 plenty of time to us right now is not 34:21.396 --> 34:21.260 the time . Thanks guys , we're gonna 34:21.260 --> 34:23.482 have to go appreciate your time . Thank 34:23.482 --> 34:23.360 you so much