Craig Whitlock: The Afghanistan Papers - Danger Close with Jack Carr

Craig Whitlock is a three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist who has specialized in reporting on national security issues for The Washington Post since 1998. Since 2001, he has covered the Global War on Terrorism as a foreign correspondent, Pentagon reporter, and national security specialist.
His new book, The Afghanistan Papers: A Secret History of the War, asks and answers the question every American is asking in the wake of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan: after 20 years of war, thousands of lives lost with even more suffering the physical and emotional trauma of the battlefield, and trillions of dollars spent - what went wrong in Afghanistan?
To gain access to what are now known as The Afghanistan Papers, The Washington Post had to sue the federal government twice under the Freedom of Information Act to force them to release unclassified interviews with 428 generals, diplomats, aid workers and Afghan officials. These documents along with 59,000 pages of Donald Rumsfeld’s memos obtained through another Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the National Security Archive at George Washington University and 600 unclassified interviews with veterans of the war conducted by the Army’s Combat Studies Institute and another series of interviews with Bush White House officials from the Miller Center at UVA form the foundation of research for Craig’s book.
If you suspected that elected and appointed officials, diplomats, government bureaucrats and senior level military leaders have been lying to congress, the tactical level troops, reporters and the American people about the war in Afghanistan for the past 20 years, this book provides you the truth - in their own words.
You can follow Craig on Twitter @CraigMWhitlock.
Presented by SIG Sauer.
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Featured Book:
The Life of General Ulysses S. Grant by J.S.C. Abbott

[@jtatchellhotmailcom]

Thank you Jack! Im a truck driver and just bought the book on audible! Can't wait for the next book! Thanks again!!

[@artloureiro7455]

Great interview. Just ordered the book. Jack asked the question "why are we not holding senior leaders accountable." In my humble opinion it is because a very small percentage of the US population cares about what we were doing in Afghanistan and Iraq. Usually those are the people who are serving or relatives and friends of those in uniform. The vast majority of the US population doesn't care about what is going on overseas with our military because it does not directly impact them. You gave some examples of when we did hold senior leaders accountable: Lincoln, Marshall, Truman, etc. Those leaders had no choice but to hold their senior leaders accountable because the nation (the whole nation) went to war. We had a draft where every citizen felt the sacrifice. Having an all-volunteer force is powerful and increases the efficiency of fielding a professional military, however, it also gives many US citizens a pass and allows them to be ignorant about what our government is doing and not doing in the name of the People's interests. Anyway, keep up the fight. I am enjoying your podcasts.

[@safaqi01]

Great point bro. Very insightful

[@TroubleActual]

Thank you. The truth will prevail.

[@stone11c]

The American public absolutely has a right to know who kept sending us to a war our “senior leaders” didn’t intend to win…so they know who to fire and even send to prison when crimes come to light.

[@mikewinter7697]

Our government is so messed up from top to bottom that I’m completely shocked that we are as powerful as we are. The incompetence and ignorance that we have is astounding. It’s embarrassing that our leadership is this bad and no does anything about it.

[@holycats8554]

On my library holds / reading list, too. Thank you, Jack, and Craig.

[@holycats8554]

p.s. Very disappointed in hearing, once again, the phrase, "Lessons Learned". U.S.G.s 'Get Out Of Jail' card, a precedence established for a decade, at minimum.

[@AGfrom83]

Jack, you're doing really great stuff with this podcast. I'm trying my best to keep up with the episodes, but you just keep releasing new ones haha.

[@grrlfriend66]

I've started reading it and just saw this podcast posted. Can't wait to finish the book as well as catch this podcast. What I've read so far is mind-blowing and a very pertinent history and insight.

[@spendsirdollarz]

How there are only 7.3 thousand views of this baffles me. Best show out there right now. Super awesome for veterans and non veterans alike. Damn near therapeutic for me.

[@7curiogeo]

Thank you gentlemen, for real facts, not the BS handed out.

[@WorldPeace-AdamNeira]

Important discussion. Prayers for the peace, security and prosperity of the good people of Afghanistan.

[@chrissheffield5468]

Here's one for you: How many OIF/OEF Veterans who have been elected as Congressman/Senators have pointed out the entire GWOT was a violation of the U.S. Constitution? Go ahead, I'll wait.

[@dcdude81]

Great show, definitely getting this

[@ericconklin6195]

Great interview Thank you

[@philipschmidt6367]

Thank you for another great interview. I'm miffed. P.O.'d . I used to think one could trust our military leaders, not so much anymore. I'm thankful for a true reporter like Craig Whitlock. Like Joe Friday, " Just the facts." Yet another must read book. Keep up the great work.

[@CFairNH]

Brilliant discussion! Great job on these podcasts!!

[@7curiogeo]

Note the boots on the ground performed far exceeded all expectations. But senior leadership political/military failed.

[@larrywebster3325]

Ordered the book. One question for Craig I have is what role did the Afghan War Diary that Wikileaks released in 2010 have? He didn't mention it in the interview. You couldn't ignore it as a journalist.

[@safaqi01]

Sadly im here a year late but wow, incredible work with the questions sir! Really shows you care about what the guests you have on are about to say

[@stefaniemiller83]

Great book, I couldn't put it down.

[@jopattix]

SIGAR reports and books by Dr. Antonio Guistozzi who lived and worked in Afghanistan for years is also a must read for those wanting to understand the corruption and failure of accountability over decades in Afghanistan and to an extent, Pakistan. Also "MSU" (make stuff/shxxt up") was used in accounting, intel, health and education stats, every type of reporting to "fit" the mission/narrative(s).

[@jilllathers9215]

Just got it. On my couch. You must be a speed reader. I need to get faster. So many books to read......on it 😊♥️🇺🇸

[@wilfdarr]

As a pilot that was the thing I hated about the old Tika headlamps, that they came on at full bright and totally obliterated your night vision. I always had to turn in on in my pocket. The new style looks much better

[@sandraa.lelacheur3001]

Inthralling book. Some might assume it’s kind of a scary blitz. Because that’s what some do … when after many many of nothing real. Blitz..detours for a view that looks real, but isn’t. It was, and is real. Yet situations are understood. Powerful Book ! I purchased it. I want more.

[@bsmithhammer]

Reading "Afghanistan Papers" now, and so of course I had to go back and re-listen to this interview as a result. Whitlock's work on this is remarkable, and deserves high-level attention. One question (well, actually one of many...) continues to nag at me, and even though it is about Iraq, as the book points out our focus on Afghanistan became inextricably linked to the 2nd war in Iraq - why did we really invade Iraq? The official reason of WMDs was proven to be BS, and then there were a bunch of other flimsy secondary reasons given, such as "Saddam was a bad guy," etc. But the truth is that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. And yet we were never given a real reason for that war, despite all the lives lost on both sides, the billions wasted, the attention diverted from the real enemy in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and yet we were never given an answer. Even worse, as time went on, the official attitude seemed to be that whatever the reason was didn't matter anymore anyway. We still deserve that answer today, imo.

[@cr-nd8qh]

Pretty sure it was oil

[@tompewterpower]

"Money, its a crime." comes to mind as does Kerry Livgren's "Red Money."

[@tjinnertube]

Shrub. Pissed because of comments offending daddy. Shined on the Afghan commander. Telling. 🇺🇸❤️

[@jonniez62]

The lessons from Vietnam, Grenada, Gulf War were documented and forgotten.

[@mikebrining6813]

Let your guest Talk a little Jack??? Sheesh

[@tjinnertube]

Link the kickbacks, prosecute, convict and sentence harshly the offenders or nothing changes

[@jeffschultz8817]

Was Ben Rhodes interviewed?

[@vacayooper4728]

The one that shall not be named.

[@jimsummers487]

The Doha agreement took years of negotiations….. one of the main negotiators was the Russian government….. this is why it has to be referred to as a surrender agreement…. Sleepy joe should have reversed this previously signed agreement

[@Damathus]

lol, I thought the not calling it a war was only a thing in Germany. I didnt know that this could have had implications for the US as well. They used to joke about it because polititians called it a "situation" or "mission" etc.

[@jimsummers487]

Very simple plan……. 7 countries in 5 years….. when the vice prez is a lobbyist….. then big deficits don’t matter…. “Dick Cheney skool of economics”. Bush then Obama was cause then effect

[@tjinnertube]

I want my money back. Afghan FAIL. 🇺🇸❤️

[@JeffOehlsen]

How is any of this a surprise ? We invaded a sovereign country based on our feelings, then, when that invasion was winding down, we invaded yet another country based on our 'MURICA feelings.