1 00:00:04,200 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: On this episode of Newtsworld, we were very fortunate to 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:10,720 Speaker 1: have Major General Joseph Arbuckle, who has been a real 3 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: leader in pointing out what went wrong and who should 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: be ald accountable in the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Major General 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: Joe Arbuckle and one hundred and sixty retired military leaders 6 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: signed a letter demanding accountability for the Afghanistan withdrawal and 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 1: for Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the 8 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: Joint Chiefs of Staff Bark Milly to resign. Major General 9 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: Joe Arbuckle entered in the Army as a private in 10 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty nine after graduating from Western State College. Following 11 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: completion of the Officer Candidate School as a combat engineer, 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: he was deployed to Vietnam as a newery lieutenant. He 13 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 1: commanded units at every rank from lieutenant to major general, 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: including two combat commands in Vietnam and Kuaig. He's received 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: numerous awards and decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, 16 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: three bronze Stars, one for valor, six Legions of Merit, 17 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with two silver stars, the 18 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: Combat Infantrman's Badge, and the Army Parachuti's badge. He is 19 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:17,119 Speaker 1: the founder and spokesperson of Flag Officers for America, and 20 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: I think their mission is very important. They say, quote, 21 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,959 Speaker 1: we are retired military leaders who pledge to support and 22 00:01:24,080 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: defend the Constitution United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. 23 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: Although retired from active service, each of us feels bound 24 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: by that oath to do what we can in our 25 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: capacity today to protect our nation from the threats to 26 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: her freedom. I'm really pleased to welcome my guest, Major 27 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: General Joseph R. Buckle. Now, General, you and almost one 28 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty retired generals and admirals signed a letter 29 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: calling on Secretary Lloyd Auston and Chairman General Mark Milly 30 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: to resign after they're handling of Afghanistan. This must have 31 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: been a very big decision for you. How did you 32 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: reach the conclusion that it was essential to be public 33 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:19,920 Speaker 1: in calling these officers to account. Well, you're correct, mister speaker. 34 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: It's a very tough decision, hard to do, but it 35 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: falls back on our oath and basically the way we're 36 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: brought up in the military, and the entire letter hinges around. 37 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: As you've already touched on accountability, one of the foundational 38 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: principles within our military. It's time honored his accountability. We 39 00:02:39,919 --> 00:02:44,079 Speaker 1: hold each other accountable for our actions or equal important 40 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: our inactions. And that's what this is exactly about. Because 41 00:02:48,639 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: those two individuals, the Secretary Defense Austin and German Doing 42 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: Chiefs General Milly, are the two top military advisors to 43 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: the President in his role as commander in chief. So 44 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: they are the ones that are directly responsible to offer 45 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:08,519 Speaker 1: their best military advice to the President regarding operations such 46 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 1: as in Afghanistan, and that happens obviously behind closed doors 47 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: and almost always a classified environment. But in this particular operation, 48 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: I'm sure that they went into the President and recommended 49 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: that that thirty one August deadline be extended and presented 50 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: that case for good military reason. The president has a 51 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: responsibility to listen to his two senior military advisors and 52 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: take into consideration their best military advice and reaching a conclusion. 53 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: In this case, the President dug his yield in and 54 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: did not extend the thirty one August deadline for the operation. 55 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: So at that point, the Secondary Defense and the Tournament 56 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,000 Speaker 1: Joint Chiefs have a tough choice. They have a decision. 57 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: They can either salute and march off and execute that order, 58 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: which is what happened obviously, and at that point adopted 59 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: full ownership in the outcome of that decision. Or alternatively, 60 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: they could say to the President, in all clear conscience, 61 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,000 Speaker 1: mister President, we cannot follow that order because of the 62 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:20,080 Speaker 1: severe ramifications that are going to come from it. Therefore 63 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: we must resign in protest. And myself and those now 64 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,839 Speaker 1: one hundred and sixty three flag officers who signed that 65 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: letter believe that's what should have been done, and that's 66 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: what's behind it. So let me ask you, at a 67 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: personal level, what was your emotional reaction as you watched 68 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 1: the sort of disintegration in Afghanistan. It's hard to describe, 69 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: probably impossible. Absolutely disgusted, embarrassment, anger, frustration, and on and 70 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: on and on, because leaving Americans behind like that, with 71 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: a conscious decision to do so violates everything in our 72 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: traditions in our military, and that is leaving no one behind. 73 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: In fact, mister speaker, let me point out, in the 74 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: Army we have something called the Warrior Ethos, and I'm 75 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: sure the other services have something similar. It contains four 76 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: simple points. One is I will always place the mission first. 77 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: Two I will never accept defeat, agree, I will never quit, 78 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 1: and four I will never leave a fallen Conrad. We 79 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: violated all four those warrior ethos in this particular DEPOTU, 80 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: and that is painful for all of us as you 81 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: look back on it. Do you think this was all avoidable? Absolutely? 82 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: All hands done? The thirty one August deadline that drove 83 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: the compression of all the preparatory actions that were necessary 84 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: to get there. There was no military reason that I 85 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,159 Speaker 1: can see whatsoever to stick to that thirty one August deadlining. 86 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: Militarily it should have been extended to provide proper time, 87 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 1: but the propable resources on the ground and conditions to 88 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: get it done safely and securely, thirty one August was 89 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:11,200 Speaker 1: a pure political decision avoidable. We had no combat depths 90 00:06:11,200 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 1: for over a year in Afghanistan, and yet in the 91 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: tragedy of this chaos, of this withdraw, we had more 92 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:26,279 Speaker 1: young Americans killed in one day than any time since 93 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: twenty eleven. I mean, how can they justify or rationalize 94 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: the strategy which had that many Americans killed? Well, I 95 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 1: think the short answer is that it cannot be rationalized. Again, 96 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,479 Speaker 1: there was no military reason to create the conditions that 97 00:06:45,640 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 1: put our troops in an impossible situation from a security standpoint, 98 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: within an arm's reach potential enemies. And of course that's 99 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,239 Speaker 1: what happened with the suicide bomber. That should have never happened, 100 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: and there is no excuse for it in my do 101 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:04,960 Speaker 1: you know, I think it's worthwhile for Americans to also 102 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: remember that in addition to thirteen Americans, there were one 103 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,920 Speaker 1: hundred and sixty nine Afghans killed by the same suicide bomber, 104 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 1: So the number of our allies who were being killed 105 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:20,160 Speaker 1: was extraordinary, and I think the killing goes on to 106 00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:24,240 Speaker 1: this day as the Taliban huntsdown people who were willing 107 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 1: to work with and to help Americans. And my dad 108 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: was a career infantryman for twenty seven years, and I've 109 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 1: spent a lot of time working with and talking with 110 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: the military over my career, and I to this day 111 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: cannot understand how they could have given up Bogram and 112 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: thought that that made any sense. I mean, have you 113 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: talked to anybody who has been able to explain the 114 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 1: decision to give up Bogram and keep an airfield in 115 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,880 Speaker 1: the middle of Cobble No, I have not talked to 116 00:07:52,920 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: anyone that can explain that Bagram, as we well know, 117 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: as a power projection platform, the best airfield available, clearly 118 00:08:01,640 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: defensible because of the standoff distances in the perimeter. The 119 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: only thing I've heard was a partial explanation, and I 120 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: don't know if it sanchored or not. Was that one 121 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: of the commanders it might have been. Even General McKenzie 122 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: said something about not having enough forces on the ground 123 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: to protect Bogram as well as the airport and cabal 124 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 1: and also the embassy, so the choice had to be 125 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: made on one of those to go, and they picked 126 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: Bogram or to your point, I don't understand it. I 127 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 1: don't understand it because once you've a Bogram, you've given 128 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: up the embassy. You don't have any leverage point to 129 00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: protect the embassy at that point. Absolutely, I find a 130 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,839 Speaker 1: mind blowing. The other thing that was really striking was 131 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: this is the largest scale of weapons ever delivered to 132 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: an enemy. Is a historian, I think maybe in history 133 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:58,559 Speaker 1: we've never seen I think some eighty five billion dollars 134 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:01,840 Speaker 1: worth of equipment go over to the Taliban, making them 135 00:09:01,880 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: now probably the world's largest single arms sales group and 136 00:09:06,640 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: able to supply everybody from Boko Haram and Nigeria to 137 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:15,240 Speaker 1: the Fort Al Shabab in Somalia, etc. Isn't the standard 138 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: American doctrine that we take all the equipment out before 139 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: we leave. Absolutely, And of course that gets back to 140 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:24,680 Speaker 1: the point you have to have adequate time to do that. 141 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:28,959 Speaker 1: But I've not heard an explanation as to why there 142 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: were so many weapons there and left behind either. I'm 143 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:35,319 Speaker 1: sure part of it was some of those weapons were 144 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: going to be passed over to the Afghan Army, you know, 145 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:43,440 Speaker 1: time phase transition. That would have been orderly insecure. But again, 146 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: the deadline got compressed so much in my opinion, that 147 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: it caused a situation there where we did not have 148 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: adequate resources to remove the weapons, equipment and supplies as 149 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: well as a personnel. And so it's just like a 150 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: astrophe from anyway you look at it. Somebody said to me, 151 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:25,079 Speaker 1: at a minimum, we could have flown the aircraft out here. 152 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: We just let him sitting there. And I think it 153 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:30,199 Speaker 1: gives the Afghan one of the larger combat air forces 154 00:10:30,200 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: in the world, which is not what the Taliban thought 155 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: they would end up with it. I mean, whether they 156 00:10:34,480 --> 00:10:37,040 Speaker 1: can maintain it will be part two. But apparently the 157 00:10:37,120 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: Chinese are already talking with them about leasing Bagram. So 158 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: you literally two years from now could end up with 159 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: a Chinese airfield that we built, we paid for, and 160 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 1: they're quite happily using. And as you said, it's a 161 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 1: great power projection system for Pakistan, Iran, Russia the stands, 162 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: I mean, Bagram is a really big deal. This is 163 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 1: almost and now going to end up being used by 164 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 1: the Chinese, who will pay rent to the Taliban. Absolutely, 165 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,320 Speaker 1: and this plays right into the Belton Road initiative that 166 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: the Chinese have, having a great airfield there to move 167 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,839 Speaker 1: people's supplies, equipment, whatever around. And of course tied to 168 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,319 Speaker 1: that is approximate three trillion dollars worth of precious metals 169 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,520 Speaker 1: in the mountains there that the Chinese had their eyes on, 170 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:29,480 Speaker 1: include rare earth. So it just plays perfectly into the 171 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: Chinese hands, and we're going to be suffering the consequences 172 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,359 Speaker 1: from that bad decision for a long time. The Secretary 173 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: of State Lincoln had a press conference in which he 174 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: seems surprised that the Taliban were actually the Taliban. I mean, 175 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: apparently they had some weird idea in the Biden administration 176 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: that the Taliban was now going to moderate, they were 177 00:11:51,240 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: going to have women members of the government, and of 178 00:11:54,040 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 1: course I think five of the members of the government 179 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: were people who had been originally in prison in Cuba 180 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: and who were swapped for an American who had become 181 00:12:06,440 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: a hostage. And one of them has apparently a ten 182 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:13,360 Speaker 1: million dollar bounty on his head as a terrorist. I mean, 183 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: I can't understand how not just Milly in Austin, but 184 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: also the commander of Sentcom who talked about the Taliban 185 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: as though they were going to be our allies. I wondered, 186 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 1: if this is the quality of military analysis we're getting, 187 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: I can't quite imagine how they're thinking about China or 188 00:12:31,520 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: North Korea, or Russia or Iran. But I found it frightening. 189 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: But even in the military that the ability to wide 190 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: yourself about who your enemies are has grown that deep, 191 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: and it structs me as a sort of a mental 192 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,600 Speaker 1: and psychological rock that doesn't resemble anything the military I 193 00:12:50,600 --> 00:12:53,120 Speaker 1: grew up in as a kid, or frankly, the military 194 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: I worked with up through the Trump administration. The rate 195 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: of change has been astonishing. Do you find the same 196 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: thing when you try to talk to some of these 197 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 1: active duty guys. I share your opinion, but frankly, I'm 198 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 1: not in communication with many, if any, active duty guys, right, 199 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 1: and I'm so far removed from retirement, but I do 200 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 1: communicate with obviously retired flag officers and they share the 201 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: same view. One of the principles of Wards time honored 202 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: know your enemy, Know your enemy, because if you don't 203 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: know your enemy, there's no way to defeat your enemy. 204 00:13:27,720 --> 00:13:31,280 Speaker 1: And that time honored principle plays right into what you 205 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:34,120 Speaker 1: just said and what we believe. I do not understand 206 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: how our senior military leadership you think that the Caliban 207 00:13:38,600 --> 00:13:42,080 Speaker 1: was willing to change its plots because they just haven't 208 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: for centuries, and as you pointed out, putting those five 209 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,520 Speaker 1: terrorists in the key positions within their quote new government 210 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,400 Speaker 1: that came about as an exchange from the Obama administration 211 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: with O Burdall a trader is really just a slap 212 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: and opposed to us, and it's obviously delivered as an 213 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 1: army guy. Are you surprised to General Millie's rule in 214 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: all this, Yes, yes, surprised and disappointed, you know, And 215 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: that gets into the PC political correctness influence in the military, 216 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: and if you allow me, I'm going to give you 217 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: my observations and opinion about that toxic political correctness reaping 218 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: into our military what we see today, and in my view, 219 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: it goes back about thirty years to nineteen ninety two, 220 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: which you recall very well, when Clinton was running and 221 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: he ran on the peace div it in platform, among 222 00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 1: other things. The intent was by Clinton to take money 223 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: out of the Department of Defense on the heels of 224 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,840 Speaker 1: the Gulf War, which was a tremendous success, take a 225 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:52,560 Speaker 1: lot out of the Department of Defense and put it 226 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: into domestic program social programs. And he did just that. 227 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: He cut in the case of the Army from eighteen 228 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,800 Speaker 1: to twelve acting divisions eighteen to twelve. That's a huge cut. 229 00:15:04,280 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: Other services suffered a lot more, as you recall brack 230 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:10,880 Speaker 1: based realignment, closure King as a part of that also. 231 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: And I became frustrating in the nineties because our senior 232 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: military leadership even back then wasn't taking a vocal stand 233 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: against all those drastic cuts to our military, knowing that 234 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: at some point in the future we're going to need 235 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,920 Speaker 1: that four structure again. And historically, whenever we cut in 236 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: our military and going into another fight, we paid for 237 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: ol Blood. So we just didn't have that kind of 238 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: outspoken but yet respectful position coming from our four stars 239 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: against those two radical cuts. Okay, so that started PC, 240 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:47,960 Speaker 1: in my view, continued through the Bush years. It was 241 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: kind of quiet. Then we hit Obama and of course 242 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: he accelerated PC and pushed it into the military, and 243 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 1: we lost somewhere between one hundred and two hundred who 244 00:15:57,200 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: knows the exact number of senior military officers who objected 245 00:16:01,360 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: to the PC influence, either resigning or being pushed out. 246 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 1: That kind of set a tone for everybody in the 247 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: ranks that if you want to stick around in the 248 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,000 Speaker 1: military and advance up to the most senior grades, you're 249 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: going to have to acknowledge the PC influence. So now 250 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:22,680 Speaker 1: we're into the Biden administration in PCs on steroids. So 251 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: I think, mister speaker, from that quick rundown there, my 252 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: view is that this PC culture, as over thirty years 253 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: influence are military to the point that the people that 254 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,800 Speaker 1: are in charge right now know that that's what they know, 255 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:42,080 Speaker 1: they've grown up with it, and that's what they're customer. Consequently, 256 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: that's the way they behave. That then leads into this 257 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 1: critical race theory and so forth in the military. If 258 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: you want to get into that. What I'm saying is 259 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 1: the demoralization of the traditional military and the attention being 260 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 1: paid everything so war fighting. Well, yes, there's only one 261 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:05,560 Speaker 1: focus that our military aren't to have, and that's winning 262 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:09,000 Speaker 1: our nation's wars. And there's no place for social programs 263 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: like critical race theory, Projects sixteen nineteen and everything else. 264 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:18,440 Speaker 1: And they're being pushed as mandatory training throughout the services. 265 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 1: And I'll make a kind of a bold statement here, 266 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:23,959 Speaker 1: but I believe it to be true. And that is, 267 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: if this emphasis on these social programs like critical race 268 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:33,119 Speaker 1: theory et cetera continue to be pushed down at the 269 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: very bottom of our military over the course of a 270 00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 1: year or so, that's going to have the potential to 271 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:43,919 Speaker 1: be more dangerous to our military than any foreign adversary 272 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,159 Speaker 1: on the battlefield. No way is it, because it tears 273 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:50,840 Speaker 1: that the guts into heart of our structure our military 274 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: at the very bottom level. As you will know, trust 275 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: and confidence in each other is absolutely critical to our military. 276 00:17:57,440 --> 00:18:00,600 Speaker 1: To include two soldiers in a foxhold, they have to 277 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: be able to trust each other for their very lives, 278 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: and that is our ethos so trust and confidence is 279 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,720 Speaker 1: the glue that holds unit cohesion together, which is then 280 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: necessary for teamwork. And teamwork is the way our Department 281 00:18:14,720 --> 00:18:17,879 Speaker 1: of Defense, our military structured all away from the bottom 282 00:18:17,920 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: to the top. And that teamwork, pulling together, working well 283 00:18:21,680 --> 00:18:24,959 Speaker 1: based on trust and confidence is necessary for readiness, and 284 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: readiness is what you have to have to fight and win. 285 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,720 Speaker 1: So those are the dots in my view that can 286 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,880 Speaker 1: be disconnected by this emphasis on critical race theory, which 287 00:18:34,920 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: is designed to do what to break us into groups 288 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: oppressed versus oppressors and put us against each other, not 289 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 1: destroys teamwork, that destroys trust and confidence and everything else. 290 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: And that's why I say it has a potential to 291 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: be extremely damaging to our military in the future that's 292 00:18:51,720 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: not stopped. I think that this is a real crisis 293 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: because you just had a seventh century tribal system that 294 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,959 Speaker 1: outlasted the US for twenty years, and by any standards, 295 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: Biden surrendered. This was not just a withdrawal. We surrendered 296 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: the country that we had been defending to a tribe 297 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 1: which had endured lots of casualties and had not been 298 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 1: able to defeat us on the battlefield, but was able 299 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: to defeat us politically and psychologically. This in that in 300 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: a healthy country, that would be a real crisis, causing 301 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:50,359 Speaker 1: a rethinking of both the Defense Department and the State 302 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:54,399 Speaker 1: Department and the intelligence community to ask, how can we 303 00:19:54,440 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: have spent twenty years and lose to this kind of organization? 304 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: But we did, and if I find that very sobering, 305 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: and it makes me worry about the quality of the 306 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 1: work involving China or Russia or North Korea from the 307 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 1: same systems that have now failed so decisively. Yes, absolutely agree. 308 00:20:16,680 --> 00:20:20,040 Speaker 1: The bottom line message out of that, I think is 309 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: that you cannot defeat an ideology which is the Taliban 310 00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: on the battlefield. Yes, you can kill them in the 311 00:20:27,359 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 1: numbers of tens of thousands, which has been done. But 312 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,960 Speaker 1: when it comes to an ideology that's based on terrorism, religion, 313 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,520 Speaker 1: or whatever else, it can't be defeated on the battlefield. 314 00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: As I just said, It's got to be attacked in 315 00:20:39,280 --> 00:20:42,919 Speaker 1: a different way. And not recognizing that to your point 316 00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: somewhere along that twenty year process is very very sobering. 317 00:20:48,400 --> 00:20:51,600 Speaker 1: In fact, we made a switch somewhere in the middle 318 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: of that from getting into Afghanistan to prohibit it become 319 00:20:57,240 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: a training ground and a launching pad or terrorism, which 320 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,919 Speaker 1: was a proper mission that expanded, as you know, in 321 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 1: the nation building, and that ties into not knowing your enemy. 322 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:09,639 Speaker 1: We sort of got into that Vietnam, but not near 323 00:21:09,680 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: as badly as we did here in Afghanistan, and so 324 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: being reflective and looking back on it now, it is 325 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,120 Speaker 1: absolutely essential and it does tie into how we're going 326 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 1: to deal with the big players. China, of course, is 327 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,679 Speaker 1: the big winner out of this debacle in Afghanistan in 328 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:29,440 Speaker 1: terms of foreign powers, but as you ticked off, there's 329 00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:32,119 Speaker 1: others also that are out there. Russia with Ukraine, and 330 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 1: Iran with their nuclear expansion and supporting terrorism globally. How 331 00:21:37,400 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 1: are we going to deal with that and what's that 332 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: going to do to the Mid East piece initiatives regarding Israel. 333 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 1: How about North Korea. We've always been a protection point 334 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 1: for South Korea since we got out of there in 335 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 1: the war with North Korea in the fifties. There's no 336 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: doubt right now that the South Koreans are starting to 337 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 1: scratch their head and wonder are we going to be 338 00:21:57,440 --> 00:22:00,200 Speaker 1: reliable allies for them in the future against North Korea? 339 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 1: And that's going to involve in North Korea to take 340 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:06,160 Speaker 1: more strong actions, I think in terms of their aggressiveness, 341 00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:10,480 Speaker 1: and about Taiwan and Japan, we know that the Chinese 342 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: officials have already made pretty overt threats against Taiwan, saying 343 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: you better pay attention to what the United States just 344 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: did in Afghanistan because they're not reliable anymore. We're not 345 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 1: trustworthy as an ally. So yes, the entire geopolitical baseline 346 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:30,199 Speaker 1: needs to be rethought in our country as a result 347 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 1: of this debacle in Afghanistan. It's amazing to me that 348 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: people like sex or State, Blincoln and others we're not 349 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: able to communicate to Biden. But yeah, it's not just 350 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:50,439 Speaker 1: about Afghanistan. This changes our believability in the entire world. 351 00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:53,639 Speaker 1: I mean, everybody on the planet's watching us, and I 352 00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:57,320 Speaker 1: think that people who have been pretty confident six months 353 00:22:57,359 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 1: ago are now scared to death that the United States 354 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: is simply totally, utterly unreliable. And I think that's why 355 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: your call for accountability is so important, because I think 356 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: we really have to come to grips with how big 357 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: a problem this is. And of course, if the news 358 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,479 Speaker 1: media and the Biden administration have their way, they're going 359 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,959 Speaker 1: to sort of cover it over and move on and 360 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: try to not ever think about it. As far as 361 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:26,639 Speaker 1: they're concerned. Afghanistan's over. Let's talk about something new. But 362 00:23:26,800 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 1: I think, in fact, in its impact on the world, 363 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: Afghanistan's going to be a factor for five, ten, fifteen years, 364 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:36,720 Speaker 1: and it's going to be a negative factor until somewhere 365 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,399 Speaker 1: the United States has to prove once again that we 366 00:23:39,480 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: are both reliable and dangerous, which we're not. Let me 367 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: switch gears on your General Arbuckle as I understand it. 368 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:49,720 Speaker 1: You now have the Flag Officers for America partner with 369 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: the Committee to Support and Defend. Can you tell us 370 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,639 Speaker 1: what this program is all about. Yes, I'm glad you 371 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: brought that out. Thank you. The Committee Support Defend is 372 00:23:59,000 --> 00:24:03,280 Speaker 1: a website that's run by the American Constitutional Rights Union, 373 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:07,200 Speaker 1: and it's a great place. This website Committee to Sport 374 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: and Defend dot org or any veteran or any civilian 375 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: to go and find their two letters, which basically mirror 376 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:20,080 Speaker 1: the letter that the retired Flag Officers have signed requesting 377 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:24,200 Speaker 1: accountability for the actions in Afghanistan. And so by going there, 378 00:24:24,440 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 1: if you're a veteran, you'll find a letter and you 379 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:29,560 Speaker 1: can add your name to it, and if you're a civilian. 380 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: Of course, as I said, there is another companion letter, 381 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:35,320 Speaker 1: but it's a great place for people to go and 382 00:24:35,359 --> 00:24:40,199 Speaker 1: express their dissatisfaction who are not retired flag officers, and 383 00:24:40,320 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 1: we're going to have that on our show page as 384 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: a link, so people will be able to go straight 385 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:49,280 Speaker 1: there who want to show their support for what you're doing. Good. Well, 386 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 1: I have to give a total credit to the people 387 00:24:51,359 --> 00:24:54,159 Speaker 1: that run the ACRU in that regard, but we have 388 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 1: been working with them because our little team for Flag 389 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:01,040 Speaker 1: Officers for America is quite small and there's not much 390 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,640 Speaker 1: else we can do beyond what we are doing right now. 391 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:07,840 Speaker 1: But the ACRU has more assets and it's a great organization. Listen, 392 00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:11,520 Speaker 1: I really appreciate your citizenship and your courage and your 393 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: continued involvement. I look forward very much to hearing from 394 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: you in the future, and I hope you'll keep pushing 395 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 1: because I think the very safety and security of America 396 00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,439 Speaker 1: requires us to confront how bad this problem is and 397 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:28,399 Speaker 1: to insist on accountability. Thank you very much, mister speaker. 398 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: And I would point out here that there is another 399 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:33,520 Speaker 1: letter that people can see at our Flag Officers for 400 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:37,240 Speaker 1: America dot Com site, and that is the open letter 401 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: that we have About two hundred nineteen replag officers have 402 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:45,080 Speaker 1: already signed back on ten May. And this one's extremely important, 403 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:48,520 Speaker 1: as you have a historian will appreciate because it starts 404 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: out by sign our nations indeed peril. And we're in 405 00:25:51,280 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 1: a fight for our survival as a constitutional republic like 406 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: no other time since our founding in seventeen seventy six. 407 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: And here's an overarching theme of this and the people 408 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: I hope we'll start and begin to understand the conflict 409 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: is between the supporters of socialism Marxism versus supporters of 410 00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: our constitutional freedom of liberty as defining our Bill of rights. 411 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:15,200 Speaker 1: We are at a struggle for our survival right now 412 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: as a constitution republic, and those in charge of our government, 413 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 1: both administration and seeming leaders in Congress, are reflecting the 414 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: socialist and Marxist ideology through their policies and their actions. 415 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: And this is extremely dangerous to our nation, as you know. Oh, 416 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,440 Speaker 1: I couldn't agree more, but I think that this is 417 00:26:35,480 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 1: one of the great crises in American history. Thank you 418 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: very very much for joining us, and we look forward 419 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:43,400 Speaker 1: to hearing from you in the future. Thank you, mister Spiegerman. 420 00:26:43,480 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 1: I hard to be with you and thanks for your 421 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:52,560 Speaker 1: great continued work as a true American patriot. Thank you 422 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: to my guest, Major General Joseph Rbuckle. You can learn 423 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,240 Speaker 1: more about the letter and the efforts of Flag Officers 424 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 1: for America and the Committee to Support and Defend on 425 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:05,240 Speaker 1: our website at newtsworld dot com. NEWTS World is produced 426 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: by Gingwish three sixty and iHeartMedia, our executive producers Debbie Myers, 427 00:27:10,359 --> 00:27:14,639 Speaker 1: our producers Gornsey Sloan, and our researchers Rachel Peterson. The 428 00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,720 Speaker 1: artwork for the show was created by Steve Penley. Special 429 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: thanks to the team at Gingwish three sixty. If you've 430 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:24,800 Speaker 1: been enjoying Newtsworld, I hope you'll go to Apple Podcasts 431 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:27,800 Speaker 1: and both rate us with five stars and give us 432 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: a review so others can learn what it's all about. 433 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 1: Right now, listeners of Newtsworld can sign up from my 434 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 1: three free weekly columns at Gingwish three sixty dot com 435 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:41,719 Speaker 1: slash newsletter. I'm newt Gingrich. This is Newtsworld.