Major Joshua Mast

That wasn't—the total abandonment of Afghanistan was not the plan in 2019. They were going to leave task force behind, and they were going to do a counterterrorism mission and mow the grass, because I was sent to study that withdrawal. That was my mission, is how do we transfer all these assets to the Afghans? How do we make this stable? And really, it wasn't until—

the spring of 2021, and I happened to talk to our JSOC liaison, and they're like, no, man, they're pulling everybody. I'm like, what? Like, you're pulling everybody? Like, they're pulling task force? Because I was sitting in the new Camp Vance that they were building adjacent to Kabul airport for the SOF to operate out of till the cows come home and kill Al-Qaeda.

the spring of 2021, and I happened to talk to our JSOC liaison, and they're like, no, man, they're pulling everybody. I'm like, what? Like, you're pulling everybody? Like, they're pulling task force? Because I was sitting in the new Camp Vance that they were building adjacent to Kabul airport for the SOF to operate out of till the cows come home and kill Al-Qaeda.

the spring of 2021, and I happened to talk to our JSOC liaison, and they're like, no, man, they're pulling everybody. I'm like, what? Like, you're pulling everybody? Like, they're pulling task force? Because I was sitting in the new Camp Vance that they were building adjacent to Kabul airport for the SOF to operate out of till the cows come home and kill Al-Qaeda.

And so I think that, you know, looping this back, both the embassy and the Taliban were dealing with a president who doesn't get pushed around. And they were both peddling a bad deal. Like the embassy was doing it for the American people and the Taliban was doing it to get us out of Afghanistan.

And so I think that, you know, looping this back, both the embassy and the Taliban were dealing with a president who doesn't get pushed around. And they were both peddling a bad deal. Like the embassy was doing it for the American people and the Taliban was doing it to get us out of Afghanistan.

And so I think that, you know, looping this back, both the embassy and the Taliban were dealing with a president who doesn't get pushed around. And they were both peddling a bad deal. Like the embassy was doing it for the American people and the Taliban was doing it to get us out of Afghanistan.

And I think if the, you know, who knows, but a living proof that this al-Qaeda group is still operating in Afghanistan. And here's an interesting fact for your audience. The Taliban was in these, on this objective the next morning, filming a propaganda video. And they released it a couple days later. It's on Twitter. You can go find it.

And I think if the, you know, who knows, but a living proof that this al-Qaeda group is still operating in Afghanistan. And here's an interesting fact for your audience. The Taliban was in these, on this objective the next morning, filming a propaganda video. And they released it a couple days later. It's on Twitter. You can go find it.

And I think if the, you know, who knows, but a living proof that this al-Qaeda group is still operating in Afghanistan. And here's an interesting fact for your audience. The Taliban was in these, on this objective the next morning, filming a propaganda video. And they released it a couple days later. It's on Twitter. You can go find it.

And they're, you know, accusing – they're typical, like, accusing of war crimes. You only killed women and children, et cetera. And they show some bodies, and it's sad, right? Like, the human cost of war is sad. But they have Chinese-looking bodies. Like, little kids, they look Asian distinctly. You have – Guys wearing Arabic scarf, like red check scarves, like very looks like Syria to me.

And they're, you know, accusing – they're typical, like, accusing of war crimes. You only killed women and children, et cetera. And they show some bodies, and it's sad, right? Like, the human cost of war is sad. But they have Chinese-looking bodies. Like, little kids, they look Asian distinctly. You have – Guys wearing Arabic scarf, like red check scarves, like very looks like Syria to me.

And they're, you know, accusing – they're typical, like, accusing of war crimes. You only killed women and children, et cetera. And they show some bodies, and it's sad, right? Like, the human cost of war is sad. But they have Chinese-looking bodies. Like, little kids, they look Asian distinctly. You have – Guys wearing Arabic scarf, like red check scarves, like very looks like Syria to me.

Like that's not the Afghan scarf, check pattern, right? They have black flags. But what the message these propaganda videos are saying is the Americans have bombed local people, farmers, local people. And you're in the middle of nowhere Afghanistan. Why would you feel the need to emphasize that these are local people and farmers in like literally the dead center of southern Afghanistan?

Like that's not the Afghan scarf, check pattern, right? They have black flags. But what the message these propaganda videos are saying is the Americans have bombed local people, farmers, local people. And you're in the middle of nowhere Afghanistan. Why would you feel the need to emphasize that these are local people and farmers in like literally the dead center of southern Afghanistan?

Like that's not the Afghan scarf, check pattern, right? They have black flags. But what the message these propaganda videos are saying is the Americans have bombed local people, farmers, local people. And you're in the middle of nowhere Afghanistan. Why would you feel the need to emphasize that these are local people and farmers in like literally the dead center of southern Afghanistan?

And I think that messaging—and then a month later they say, there are no Turkestani-born Mujahideen in Afghanistan. And they are very keyed into the fact that this deal just got blown up, and they want to get back to the negotiating table. And that was the directive for SOF at the time, was bleed them back to the negotiating table. And we were doing it.

And I think that messaging—and then a month later they say, there are no Turkestani-born Mujahideen in Afghanistan. And they are very keyed into the fact that this deal just got blown up, and they want to get back to the negotiating table. And that was the directive for SOF at the time, was bleed them back to the negotiating table. And we were doing it.

And I think that messaging—and then a month later they say, there are no Turkestani-born Mujahideen in Afghanistan. And they are very keyed into the fact that this deal just got blown up, and they want to get back to the negotiating table. And that was the directive for SOF at the time, was bleed them back to the negotiating table. And we were doing it.

They wanted to get back and negotiate with us. So I guess all that—I think that— Was she the leading thought in their mind? No, but she was an inconvenient truth for both sides, both the embassy and the Taliban.