but i mean, if you really have to, head to head, and kabulfell? no way. there is no way i can surrender to the taliban. no way. for years, us and british soldiers have been training afghan troops to defend themselves against the taliban. there were over 180,000 government forces preparing to fend off 75,000 taliban troops. but despite this, us intelligence knew they'd fail and kabul would fall within months. i went to an army base outside kabul to meet some of their newest recruits. one of the most dangerous jobs to have in afghanistan today is to be part of the afghan army at such a turbulent time when foreign forces are leaving the country. byjune, the taliban had made significant advances. it was clear that the afghan army had limited time to prepare for the fight ahead. hamdullah was 18 and about to finish training. the hopes that people had for someone like him, that 20 years or 18 years on, this would be a very different nation. to think that they've gone back to square one is what's most disturbing about all of this. protecting afghanistan from the

whiteboards from a moment in time just days before kabulfell, when us soldiers plotted an orderly pull—out. this is what they left behind. hangers are full of helicopters. all disabled, destroyed, so the taliban cannot use them. the best of american military hardware, the best of its generals, were part of its longest war. and now it has ended in the worst of ways, and it will live long in memory, here in afghanistan, in america, and far beyond. today, an airfield flooded with fighters. theirfirst urgent task, repairing the runways so commercial airlines can fly again. translation: as you can see, these infidels destroyed - the entire airport. they haven't left any machinery in good repair. we had a team ready to fix this mess ever since we came to kabul. now that the americans have left we are ready to clean it up. all flights have stopped, but afghans still keep trying to get in, to find a way out of this country. taliban guards turn them away. the last us flight lifted off last night, and the skies exploded with taliban soldier, after the last american soldier, major general chris donah

whiteboards from a moment in time just days before kabulfell, when us soldiers plotted an orderly pull—out. this is what they left behind. hangers are full of helicopters. all disabled, destroyed, so the taliban cannot use them. the best of american military hardware, the best of its generals, were part of its longest war. and now it has ended in the worst of ways, and it will live long in memory, here in afghanistan, in america, and far beyond. today, an airfield flooded with fighters. theirfirst urgent task, repairing the runways so commercial airlines can fly again. translation: as you can see, these infidels destroyed - the entire airport. they haven't left any machinery in good repair. we had a team ready to fix this mess ever since we came to kabul. now that the americans have left we are ready to clean it up. all flights have stopped, but afghans still keep trying to get in, to find a way out of this country. taliban guards turn them away. the last us flight lifted off last night, and the skies exploded with taliban soldier, after the last american soldier, major general chris donah

this was a few days before kabulfell and he kandahar. this was a few days before kabul fell and he says kandahar. this was a few days before kabulfell and he says if kandahar. this was a few days before kabul fell and he says if we lose this fight, kabul will be gone in a bank and an event that terror will return. and that seems remarkably prescient when you consider what happened today. prescient when you consider what happened today-— prescient when you consider what hauenedtoda. . . . ., happened today. kandahar has always been a spiritual— happened today. kandahar has always been a spiritual capital. _ happened today. kandahar has always been a spiritual capital. it _ happened today. kandahar has always been a spiritual capital. it is _ happened today. kandahar has always been a spiritual capital. it is with i been a spiritual capital. it is with ed teledyne was established and where it was founded and he spent most of his time controlling in the 90s and 2008 is based symbolically important place. that's why we went down there to

as kabulfell, he headed for the panjshir valley to join his fellow tajiks in the resisistance. he now considers himself the legitimate caretaker president of afghanistan, and is allied with ahmad massoud. this picture shows him playing volleyball while waiting for the child and to advance.— volleyball while waiting for the child and to advance. they should understand _ child and to advance. they should understand we _ child and to advance. they should understand we will _ child and to advance. they should understand we will not, _ child and to advance. they should understand we will not, let - child and to advance. they should understand we will not, let me i child and to advance. they shouldj understand we will not, let me be very clear, we will not accept clerical dictatorship in my country. we make peace, but the piece should not mean surrender to a group with massive records of human rights violation, massacres of people, you name it, that will not happen. lets speak to frank gardner who is live with us on this story. frank, how do you assess the seriousness of this chall

afghan people when kabul— choice of the afghan people when kabul fell. choice of the afghan people when kabulfell. it choice of the afghan people when kabul fell. it has also been quick to establish diplomatic relationships with the taliban. a delegation from the taliban was here injuly_ delegation from the taliban was here “1qu to— delegation from the taliban was here injuly to meet delegation from the taliban was here in july to meet with china's delegation from the taliban was here injuly to meet with china's foreign minisien _ injuly to meet with china's foreign minisien in— injuly to meet with china's foreign minister. in the days after kabul fell, there was definitely a sense of enjoying, frankly, new evidence, as beijing _ of enjoying, frankly, new evidence, as beijing sees it, of the decline of the _ as beijing sees it, of the decline of the us, — as beijing sees it, of the decline of the us, its great adversary. because — of the us, its great adversary. because of the events of the last za hours. _ because of the events of the last za hours. that— because of the events of the

afghan opposite number, just 48 hours before kabulfell. it afghan opposite number, just 48 hours before kabul fell. it tells you everything in a small example of just how out of step with what was happening in afghanistan the british government was. the foreign secretary on holiday, his flip—flops on in crete, was making calls but not talking to the foreign minister of afghanistan with his government in peril, and to falljust 48 hours later. in peril, and to fall 'ust 48 hours later. ., president biden has said troops will stay in afghanistan beyond his august 31st withdrawal deadline, if more time is needed to get all american citizens out of the country. in an interview with abc news, the us president once again defended the decision to withdraw us troops, insisting there wasn't a way for them to leave "without chaos ensuing". americans should understand the troops might have to be i there beyond august the 31st? no, americans will understand that we are going to try to get it done before august the 31st. but if we don't, - the troops

certainly- it was three weeks ago, certainly before kabul fell, it was three weeks ago, certainly before kabulfell, and i have talked about this before, this was something that the pentagon had been thinking about for a long time, as far back as late april, when we held a concept exercise at the pentagon looking at the retrograde and how that was going to pass out and through the summer. part of the conversation was the potential for a evacuation of operations and what that would look like. nancy. thank ou. that would look like. nancy. thank you- studio: _ that would look like. nancy. thank you. studio: that— that would look like. nancy. thank you. studio: that is _ that would look like. nancy. thank you. studio: that is the _ that would look like. nancy. thank you. studio: that is the pentagon ress you. studio: that is the pentagon press conference _ you. studio: that is the pentagon press conference taking _ you. studio: that is the pentagon press conference taking place, - you. studio: that is the pentagon | press conference taking place, such great interest in the media all over the world. s

i spoke to a friend in afghanistan who said last week, before kabulfell to the taliban, there were 30,000, 40,000 people leaving every day. the scale of the crisis means no country can do it alone but the uk ought to lead by example. last night i spoke to local authorities and there is a local authorities have offered to help with this but so far nobody has picked up the phone so we need a plan from the prime minister about how he will deliver this, notjust a vague aspiration. the how he will deliver this, not 'ust a vague aspiration.* vague aspiration. the changing situation has _ vague aspiration. the changing situation has made _ vague aspiration. the changing situation has made political i situation has made political decisions difficult and everyone can have their opinions as to whether the right decisions were made. i am looking at your quotes. i think it wasjuly the 7th, this in relation to the withdrawal agreement, in connection with that, you said there would be many people who travelled to afghanistan from britain to keep people safe, but that time is coming to an end. it had ou

thousand who were evacuated between april and august but it really did not get going until frankly kabulfell. really did not get going until frankly kabul fell. that suggests a chronic lack of planning and i think everyone feels that the americans kind of let them down.— kind of let them down. quick final thou~ht, kind of let them down. quick final thought. the _ kind of let them down. quick final thought, the russians _ kind of let them down. quick final thought, the russians have i kind of let them down. quick final thought, the russians have just i kind of let them down. quick final. thought, the russians have just been thought, the russians havejust been talking about their intentions and very interesting comments in the last fee moments.— very interesting comments in the last fee moments. vladimir putin sa in: last fee moments. vladimir putin saying russia _ last fee moments. vladimir putin saying russia does _ last fee moments. vladimir putin saying russia does not _ last fee moments. vladimir putin saying russia does not plan i last fee moments. vladimir putin saying russia does n

the uk having failed to get thousand out before kabul fell, having failed to get thousand out before kabulfell, now facing having failed to get thousand out before kabul fell, now facing a scramble to get them out. he said how dangerous it was, he said about the fears of people getting more desperate as the deadline approaches. the fear of attack around that base and the security situation there. ultimately, also the fact the uk itself is relatively powerless to decide what happens on the ground. he said the g7 as we believe the leaders, chaired by borisjohnson, will discuss the possibility of extending that airlift are beyond the 31st, but it is not the uk's decision to make. t is not the uk's decision to make. i wish we had more time. i think at the moment it is unlikely. i see the public— the moment it is unlikely. i see the public statements of president biden and the _ public statements of president biden and the statements of the taliban. but we _ and the statements of the taliban. but we have to plan on the 31st of august— but we have to plan on the 31st of august being the last mom