Like you, I've been STUNNED and HEARTBROKEN over how events in Afghanistan have unfolded during the past several weeks. Our pullout remains an open wound, especially after 13 of our brave service members were killed in a suicide bombing on August 26 outside the Abbey gate of Kabul’s airport. 👉 SUBSCRIBE TO ED'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL NOW 👈 → → → CONNECT WITH ED MYLETT ON SOCIAL MEDIA: ← ← ← ▶︎ INSTAGRAM ▶︎ FACEBOOK ▶︎ LINKEDIN ▶︎ TWITTER ▶︎ WEBSITE Like you, I WANT ANSWERS! So, I asked two men I respect and admire to help us make sense of what happened and what comes next. In a world that sometimes throws the HERO and PATRIOT label around too much, these men have not only earned those distinctions, they’ve also set the standard. I am honored to welcome Robert O’Neill and Rich Diviney to this week’s show. Rob was a Navy SEAL from 1996 to 2012, went on 400 missions (that he can admit to), and is the man who killed Osama bin Laden during Operation Neptune Spear in 2011. Rich is a retired Navy SEAL commander who served more than 20 years, including 13 overseas deployments—including 11 in Iraq and Afghanistan. Without a doubt, both men are UNIQUELY QUALIFIED to talk about current Middle East events. They are not armchair experts. They LIVED it, and they have a lot to SHARE with us. In a sweeping, honest, and often unsettling talk, Rob and Rich PULL NO PUNCHES about their impressions on the current state of affairs in the Middle East and how poorly the evacuation was handled. We also get into our military’s long-term STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP direction over the past 20 years and how past and current decisions have impacted our troops on the ground. You’re going to hear how the CHAIN OF COMMAND works, and you may not be happy with the “why and how” involving our policy decisions. Many of us have also struggled to understand how and why we left behind so much equipment and weapons of war for the Taliban’s benefit. Of all the UNANSWERED QUESTIONS that remain, this could have the most far-reaching and negative implications for the entire world. Rob and Rich offer insights into GLOBAL POLITICS, including how China, Russia, and other actors will redefine their roles as military and economic powers in the near term and why that could impact how next conflicts will be waged in the future. I’ve heard from many of you about your concerns over the potential of increased terrorism threats in the United States with the fall of Afghanistan. Rob and Rich also discuss the role of the Taliban and other terror groups and speculate on what to be to watch for in the coming months and years. This is a FRANK interview by two men who are UNFILTERED in their honesty, insights, and opinions. If you want ANSWERS about what happened in Afghanistan and what comes next in the Middle East and in the United States, this is an hour of your time well spent. Finally, to Rob, Rich, and all the BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN who now serve or who have served our country in the armed forces, THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIGILANCE AND YOUR SERVICE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.