MP that walked across Afghanistan reacts to fall of Kabul | Rory Stewart interview
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- Rory Stewart walked through Afghanistan, from Herat to Kabul, six weeks after the Taliban government fell in 2002.
Since, he's written a best selling book about the experience, administrated a region of Iraq, been elected to the House of Commons, served as secretary of state for international development, contested the Conservative leadership election with Boris Johnson, been kicked out of his party and stood as an independent to be Mayor of London.
He spoke to Oli Dugmore about the US and UK's abdication of responsibility in Afghanistan.
Presenter: Oli Dugmore
Camera: Ed Campbell, George King
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I am continually impressed when listening to this man. He speaks with intelligence, compassion and wisdom. Politics in this country really needs him. His clear analysis is above the squabbles of our corrupted political system. He spoke for twenty two minutes and he didn't waste a single word. No spin, lies or self aggrandizing. He has a very prescient message and we all need to listen.
Lol alright Mrs Stewart.....
Well put JM ,I normally detest politicians with a hatred i would normally reserve for paedophiles and mass murderers (of which many probably are) but this guy could actually persuade me back to the ballot box
I did not like his anti brexit stance that was essentially undemocratic. However, these were his views and can’t always agree, but he has strength and character, what we need in a leader.
No I want someone who wants to protect us the British for a change not someone who wants to help everybody but the British and wants to give all our money away
@@richardsalisbury496 Ignorant comment. They all protect British (or their own) interests. No one gives our money away. We utilise our resources in a manner considered to be in our best interests overall.
Rory Stewart is a rare politician. He has a heart and soul.
He sounds more like a Lib Dem than a Tory to be perfectly honest.
Most politicians are like this, they just get vilified by the media. It's disgusting really.
The most underrated comment.
This was an excellent interview. Competent, non confrontational but firm on all sides with open and honest engagement. More of this, please!!!!
Please compare these statements of Rory's with his 2011? TED talk.
He is contradicting his 2011 views on getting out of Afganistan and whether the Taliban can take over Afganistan and also on the increase of foreign aid.
But still I do enjoy watching his docos and interviews etc. Very informative.
One more thing. Who would walk across Afganistan during December 2001 to February 2002, 3 months after 911?
Intel gathering for MI6 maybe?
Who knows?
Biden is the most inept buffoon ever to take office. I wouldn't have him in charge of walking my dog.
ua-cam.com/video/_m7uL4Q44ws/v-deo.html
This is his documentary
@@iivanforchune9666 that was 10 years ago, surely people are allowed and should be encouraged to change their views in light of changing circumstances and information 🤷♂️
@@ME4503 By all mean of course. But reading these comments of "I respect him" and he has "integrity", I think it's only fair the commenters should explore the TOTAL spectrum of what this ex politician has had to say on these subjects over the last 20years.
For context George W. Bush campaigned in 2000, on the US not being a "Nation Building Corp".
Once elected 12 months later he was not only war fighting in Afganistan but also determined to transform it into some kind of acceptable democracy.
20years later.........And here we are!
I watched his two Afghan documentaries yesterday. Very enlightening.
Same. Gave me a whole new outlook on this situation.
@@oksbpodcast7005 what documentaries? Where can we find them?
Likeiwse
Yes, they were marvellous. Certainly give us a better understanding of how we got to this point in regards Afghanistan. He certainly does an interesting documentary.
i was really hoping Rory was going to win the tory leadership race a couple years ago. He seemed to be the only guy who had real compassion for people and had his head screwed on in relation to Brexit.
Rory Stewart has been to Afghanistan 125 times and runs a huge charity out there. He knows what he's talking about.
Yeah he loves that opium they grow over there still
That doesn't fit the socialist narrative of the British as colonialist oppressors.
@@salmivec So answer me this. Afghans had 20 yrs to prepare. They've achieved nothing. They all want to run to the west now. Afghan culture is not worth saving. Even the Afghans themselves don't seem care enough to fight for it.
@mill101 - you said “answer me this..” and then proceeded not to ask me a question. Every one of your points, bar none, is a textbook of a straw man and your hubris towards Afghan culture just highlights your ignorance (presumably you have never heard of Rumi). It’s funny how everyone is suddenly an expert on Afghanistan and its culture, never having stepped foot in the country or even seeking out an Afghan or a Pushtun for his views or outlook on life. The points you have raised have all been addressed by the soldiers and commanders who are entrenched on the ground - and they are all scathing of the US and the NATO allies. Ill take my lead from them - i suspect they know more than most of the keyboard warriors posting their xenophobic and racist drivel on here. You are of course welcome to your own views.
@@standalby6949 Nowt wrong wi pure tackle... Outshines the brick dust, batt acid, god knows what - available from bent , money grubbing, any shite addititive'll do uk street greedy dealers.
When Rory Stewart talks about Afghanistan, it's worth listening. I respect him.
Yeah maybe, but don't respect him when he talks about sleepover parties.
@Josef Blanc I do know about and I respect him.
He's a tosser
I agree. He understands this better than most and seems really genuine.
He talks like there was some massive progress in the country and it is a big loss without the West dipping their fingers in. Would like to know what he thinks about Libia and the transformation Gadaffi made over his reign?
Rory comes across as a decent bloke, sounds very sincere in what he's saying, how could he possibly ever succeed in today's political swamp.
That's why he's politically homeless he tried with Labour he tried with the Conservatives its very tough if your a decent person.
@@CoolCraftCool Yes. This is a worldwide problem.
@@CoolCraftCool would love him to try SNP lol welcome to Scotland, x
@@shaaronmacdonald4221 I don't know the SNP seem so distracted by the prospect of another divisive referendum he doesn't seem the type to want to be right in the middle of something like that.
Rory Stewart=Neoliberal pound shop Tony Blair.
Amazing interview-everyone here should watch Rory’s “Great Game” documentary on Afghanistan here, very penetrating and beautiful.
I have a lot of time for Rory Stewart. POlitic opinion aside, i think he's a principled bloke
Nah, he's a Tory and party to a corrupt government. That's the simplest test of deceny.
@@matthewfoley3929 he resigned the whip out of principle. He’s an independent (I take your point though)
@mandellorian go on, expand
He is Tory's Jeremy Corbyn!!
This guy is the kind of man who should be in leadership. Love his book. Sadly politics (and most workplaces nowadays) are a case where the people with the least integrity seem to be given the most authority.
didnt you see his failure to grasp the eu. he felt the eu wouldnt offer anything. no way sud be a leader to soft
like it or not, all types are needed but leaders have to be hard to make those choices
How long before the fact he was the British Liaison to a Tajik torture squad becomes a problem? Where was this integrity then?
Which book?
A great human being with life experience beyond government. So sad that he is not the leader of our ramshackle nation.
We need Rory Stewart and others like him with integrity and compassion to be leading the country now.
Miles Peckover I wanted him to be PM after Theresa May.
Rory Stewart is a well travelled, open-minded, tolerant, educated and sensitive human being with spiritual awareness and wisdom. These are qualities any healthy society would look for in leaders.
Instead we choose our leaders based on personality and personal ambition. This is self-harm on a humanity level.
Well said sir.!
Part of the reason is the first-past-the-post electoral system. That’s why sensible people like Rory and right-wing ERG are condemned to each other in one party. Britain needs proportional representation.
Do you understand how voting works in the UK? The fact that he is an MP meant people voted for him. I believe you have to be party member to vote for a party leader and I don't know a single person who's a member of any political party.
Hes basically too smart to be primeminister. The plebs think hes weird. People often cant see upwards.
@@timsyoutube6051 Your point is valid that it has indeed been party members voting for Johnson or Stewart at the time (and a third one at the time). But my point is more that the electoral system effectively creates a two-party system. And that means that each of those two parties contain quite a wide range of political spectrum underneath their party umbrella. Both ends of that spectrum are 'condemned' to each other, because splitting off means becoming practically unelectable.
compare Mr Stewart's intelligence, thoughtfulness and reasoned attitude with the incoherent, rambling lies of boris. unfortunately, even tragically, Mr Stewart has far too much integrity to be a tory PM.
I'm a Labour guy - but this guy has integrity and intelligence.
I,m Scottish and SNP but this man was in the British army he saw all in Afghanistan! Why didn't bwe send Boris Johnson and his cohorts to Afghanistan?????
@@georgejob7544 SNP don't do it 😑 you will regret every last minute of it. Sturgeon is sleep walking you into her kingdom.
@@georgejob7544 He wasn't in the British Army.
@@iaincrawford5472 he served a short service limited commission in the Black Watch for five months as second lieutenant on probation
Good for you, an open minded socialist unlike the comrades below with sneer and smear. This man lived and worked in Afghanistan, two books in print one on Afghanistan and one on the Marsh Arabs. Integrity and honesty is rare in the Woke culture West.
Ah...was waiting for Rory Stewart's interview, just like that...and here it pops up on my YT feed! Having read his book describing his walk thru Afghanistan...which I must say is written quite sensitively...I was looking forward to his reactions to the fiasco... Thanks!
@@iaincrawford5472 That walk was fairly epic, & seems he did plenty more in Afghanistan afterwards-- lived there, set up Turquiose Mountain charity, and been back there over a hundred times since. I think the main things he got from his parents were an outstanding intellect , the "toff" ability to be amazingly articulate & a good Christian's compassion.
It's true he did a pretty short Short Service Commission.
Imagine this guy leading the country , just by listening to him , I feel secure
So the fact he sat in a room in Tajikistan issuing instruction to a torture squad does not bother you?
You just read my mind.
His voting record is appalling.
@@tamasmarcuis4455 You cant even get the country right......And those police were busted by our troops
Rory Stewart is a Remainer - which is why he had little chance of rising above the highest position he held in UK Politics. Far, far more intelligent than Boris Johnson and with grip on far more integrity.
I'm not a Tory but I wish he hadn't pulled out of the London Mayoral election, he would have been a shoe in. I've a lot of respect for this man.
Thoughtfulness you don't expect from any of the NuTorys.
And to think, if the Tories had any backbone, this man could have been in charge through this and the pandemic. Instead they kicked him out of the party.
Why is that a surprise? Abject servility is the (lack of) backbone on which Little English Toryism is founded! I mean - what else is feudal loyalty to a 'monarch' person?
@@stueyapstuey4235 sadly I am coming to that conclusion too.
He actually resigned
@@woafy4967 can't blame him.
Something tells me that he'd absolutely hate working with Boris who comes across as a bully who has no clue what he's doing and has no leadership qualities of value.
@@woafy4967 he was kicked out of the party, along with the then father of the house, Ken Clark, Nicholas Soames (Churchill’s grandson), and others.
No wonder he was ousted from Tory party, he speaks more sense than the lot of them combined. Everything is wrong in politics, we need a new system.
@@joevolcano6720 that would be terrible. Physical strength/ power would decide everything and nobody would have rights.
Imagine what a different country the UK would be and how much better it would be perceived by other nations if Rory Stewart was elected leader of the Tories in the 2019 leadership contest. Hate to say it but nice guys finish last.
@@declanokeeffe84 That has a lot to do with UKIP, which infiltrated the Tory Party from top to bottom. As a result, the membership - now largely made of of former UKIP members - all voted for Johnson because they were obsessed with Brexit and saw him as their champion. Had Rory Stewart stood for leadership at some other time, there is a chance that he could have become leader. He would have made an excellent PM, IMO.
@@declanokeeffe84 Completely agree.
Proportional election. It's that simple.
Great interview, Stewart is so well informed and honest in his assessment of the situation in Afghanistan.
As an Afghan/British Army soldier, I have the utmost respect for Tory Stewart. It is rare to find a man with such intellectual understanding along with wisdom who has a genuine sense of humanity, let alone one that is a politician! He is a great example of what a true leader should be like.
A very sensible analysis - Rory stewart showing exactly why the Tory mps wouldn’t vote for him
Rubbish
@@iaincrawford5472 your comments make you sound so stupid! Nothing to say except supposed insults parroted from conservative media
@@iaincrawford5472 Sometimes a political leader needs to LEAD. Rory Stewart might have done that, Boris never will.
@@iaincrawford5472 So in your mind its all about picking "winners" is it? Yes Boris is a "winner" because the bumbling oaf look seems to appeal to a lot of people. But some of us would prefer a Prime Minister who is competent and honest. Boris (supported by the idiots who voted for him) is dragging the UK into the mud. The events in Afghanistan show just how meaningless his "global Britain" fantasy is.
I think he’d have made a solid prime minister - I’d have voted Tory if he’d have won the leadership contest! But alas, he didn’t, so I didn’t.
even as an extreme anti-tory this is one politician's opinion i respect on this
Only reason I was invested in the leadership election was because if this man’s brief rise. Would’ve been the best Tory…ever really. Still would’ve preferred Corbyn but at least the alternative would’ve been ‘tolerable’
100% Butt.
@Largesse1000 Sounds like a good self-description there ...
When Rory Stewart speaks he makes me wanting to listen.
Want
Pleasant enough chap but before everyone gets misty eyed about this true blue tory,check out his voting record as an MP.
Absolutely, condemn him for his awful voting record of hating the poor, but it doesn't detract from him knowing about this stuff.
Makes a lot of sense him not being in the cabinet, he is capable of having coherent thoughts.
@@keithpanton7486 Even a broken clock 🕒 😂
Soooooo, who thought Boris would be a better representative/leader for the Uk than this guy??? 🤔 Shows what a joke this country is right now, really embarrassing.
@nathan - I'm not sure I agree with you. I'm no fan of Boris but I'm no fan of this guy either. And as for being "naive about Biden" Mr Stewart should speak for himself.
It's all because of brexit. None of our decent and good hearted politicians could bring themselves to say they would break away from EU without a deal if they had the choice. So Borris became Conservative leader.
@@mofa9745 to be fair, when you have a choice between Biden and Donald what choice is there really. And in regards to our parliamentary, I mean he has a point, who would you rather represent GB, again its not a hard decision if these two are your only choices.
What embaressing is your joke of a country run by a compulsive patholigical liar at risk of going bust in january due to lack of access to the single market
Dont be fooled this shit about that halfwit austrailia hating trade envoy to .checks notes austrailia'it to take the heat off raab who was paid 25 grand by putin on his holibobs. Theres no united kingdom just a post truth stage play by some badly supervised 6th form students
I don't vote conservative, but Rory is one of the only politicians i trust. I hope he keeps his integrity,
I would never vote for the Tories. But if Rory Stewart had become PM the UK would be in A much better state. He should be PM and I hope he returns to parliament and runs again.
@@avaloncbt5898 I doubt he will, in the current nonsensical political climate.
Center Conservatives like him don't really have a chance today against your Boris and Reese Smoggs unfortunately.
see my comment today
@@avaloncbt5898 see my comment today
This man should be leading the Conservative party. Liked and subbed.
Rory has exceptional knowledge and experience with Afghanistan. I watched his previous broadcasts when they were about. A valuable diplomat. And more.
I have a great deal of respect for Rory Stewart, he’s walked the walk. But when asked about Biden’s claim that Afghanis didn’t fight for their own country Rory’s answer kind of missed Biden’s point. Biden was talking about the 300,000 or so trained Afghani troops, not powerless people in villages. I wish there had been a follow up question asking about this point because I genuinely don’t understand what happened to this US trained Afghani army. I also don’t know how to square Rory’s comments about remaining in Afghanistan with his Ted talk from years ago where he argues that the US/UK should get out of Afghanistan asap. These are questions not criticisms, Mr Stewart remains one of our most insightful public figures IMO..
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_production_in_Afghanistan
I can take a stab at what happened to them, once they realized they no longer had US air assets and wouldn't be getting paid they gave up.
much of the training was provided by private contractors, while many were given training by the Indian army, many of the 300000 joined to earn a living, many hadn't even been paid for months, as the Ghani administration was really corrupt as there is no trail for the billions provided, most of the Afghan government fled with money stashed away in foreign bank accounts, so how can a demoralised army be expected to fight a war that the politicians are not willing to believe in and run at the first sign of trouble, as for air cover they had light attack aircraft. it seems the US did exactly the same in Vietnam and iraq not forgetting the bombings in Laos.
Let's get this man back in British politics
@Generic Monk With you on that one.
This was the one guy who was talking sense on Question Time the other day
Brits suddenly caring about afganistan after they condemned us for DRAGGING them into the conflict for 20 years is the peak of English condescension
Wow, that was a great interview. Made me reconsider some things.
A true blue Tory who's makes a lot of sense when he speaks , a very rare breed indeed .
I agree. Unfortunately, being loud, popularist and giving sound bites are the onces that gets the attention. The squeaking wheel gets the grease, once greased, we find that that those wheels are broken.
Good guy but never suited to be in the Tory party..too honest.
A sensible, articulate and heart felt explanation of the tragedy in Afghanistan. Why aren’t more British politicians like this presenting a reasoned approach to such a critical issue, or are we already a banana ‘republic’.
He isn't a politician anymore. He was sacked and fucked off for trying to thwart Brexit along with most other remoaners.
Everyone has a right to have their say regardless of who won what at the ballot box. That's why we have an opposition.
Because, apparently, Boris Johnson is what the Tory party and our electorate want these days.
@@54duffield54
You mean trying to thwart brexshit...
@@NoLefTurnUnStoned. your remoaner tears taste so sweet.
Apart from coming across as a really decent human being - I love his name!
This guy can’t be a politician..he answered a question and I believe what he’s telling me.
It’s so incredibly unusual listening to Rory Stewart. He’s a politician… but he speaks with clarity, incisive analysis, credibility and intelligence.
No patronising three word jingles.
No bullshit spin or patronising analogy ‘for the little people’
No fluffed deflection answers.
Just honest, candid answers based on real experience, solid values and genuine intellect.
He should lead his party.
He was kicked out of his party
Rory, even though a tory, is the Prime Minister that the UK needed. They got bumbling boris.
Unfortunately he was too sensible and level headed to win the Tory leadership
@Josef Blanc "Alec" Salmond ? Who's he ?
@Josef Blanc he’s not even the First Minister that Scotland needs.
Boris what a failer the cabinet a bunch of failers
@Josef Blanc dose your wife need him
I watched the documentaries and was very impressed by Rory - he truly has a marvelous biography. Having said that I do not get his instance or desire to remake Afghans or Afghanistan in any other image than what the internal polity or dynamics of their own country will support. Nothing he has done or says creates any moral obligation to them on my behalf.
This came up in my recommended feed, but I must say that this is an amazing interview - Rory Stewart has amazing insight into this situation and talks in a balanced and realistic way about important topics that sensationalist media and typical phony politicians will never touch on. The interviewer also asked good questions and gave Rory ample time and space to answer. I learned a lot from this interview and am thoroughly happy I watched it. Good job, PoliticsJOE.
Interesting that the UK could have had this chap as PM.... he was in the conservative leadership race and they chose Johnson!
That's because the MP's choose the final two. May have been different if each round went to membership instead.
I m Chinese British. I think when you look at the leader of the country you don't just look at one country and one aspect. I m not saying Boris made right decision. I don't like the current situation but I believe it is difficult for uk to stay or hv different strategy while the US and NATo has decided to leave. Americans want to withdraw but not with Biden plan. Trump withdraw plan was different. This only shows how useless Biden is. Do you know China, the ccp invited taliban to China had a meeting just month ago ? Do you know the ccp has sponsored the taliban weapons? Do you know taliban said on their social media that the ccp is their friends. Has British thought abt the origin of the convid? I believe this is the leak from Chinese p4 lab. The threats from China to our human kind is much bigger than the taliban.
This guy is talking nonsense. George Bush is responsible for this, pure and simple! As for being a good PM, I'm sure he would be every bit as bloody shambolic as the present incumbent.
@@johnbrown-pl8xx well said
@@johnbrown-pl8xx He would have been better than Johnson, This guy is far smarter and his names carry more weight than Boris who though funny and quirky is a liar, lacks ability to manage details and doesn't have intellectual sensitivity nor a particularly cohesive world view. Hes no Churchill that's been proven recently..
He's one of those rare creatures from Eton, who isn't out just for himself.
And that's why he will not get anywhere in BoJo's cabinet.
@@steverooke1717 it's a shit show
@@steverooke1717 He had the whip withdrawn by Johnson/Cummings back in 2019. Since then he has not been an MP. So, sadly, it doesn't look very likely that he'll be involved in UK politics again any time soon. That's a pity, because he would have made a great PM. I'm not a Tory, but I'd have been happy to see him at No 10.
@@timelwell7002 I suspect they might of been fearful of his integrity🤐
@@steverooke1717They were shocked to find someone even more deluded than themselves
Thank you both for bearing your soul, giving so much depth and meaning to this interview!
After watching both his videos on Afghanistan and listening to the interview, I have the utmost respect for this man. He has personal in depth knowledge and moral fibre which government seem to lack. It gladdens me, as a former Serviceman and a caring Human being to know there are still people like him in modern Britain.
RORY,YOUR HONESTY WILL BE YOUR DOWNFALL BUT PLEASE PLEASE KEEP ON FIGHTING...
This was a Handover, not a Takeover
And it's good to note that being missing in action is not a sack-able offence anymore - unlike during the Falklands!
Raab must be singing in his bath - the list of workers' rights he doesn't believe in to the tune of Rule Britannia!
When you release 6000 enemy POW's months ago it is a handover not takeover.
I would say: blame the Taliban. It's so neo-colonial to always feel that 'we' are responsible for local issues all over the world. Yes, 'we' are responsible for mucking a lot of things up - best to start stopping with that. Fair trade practices etc.
Clearly heard nothing said on this long video
@Jabroni .Lifestyle
Trump gave Afghanistan to the Taliban, US troops had to be out May 2021. Biden changed it to 21 August. UK had 3 more months to get people out, did they?
This is a very good interview and sums up the situation we now find ourselves in. It's quite frightening how inept our current crop of politicians are. This situation is a denigration of our modern democracies.
He would’ve been a remarkable Prime Minister
..for another party..
Should have stayed in Labour. He probably would be by now.
NOOOOOOOOOOO. Save me from this mentality.
A Conservative with actual conservative values. A rare breed.
Makes you cry doesn't it?
Just imagine if we'd had a man who was actually prepared to serve his country leading the Tory party.
He didn't serve in the military in Afghanistan he had an embassy job.
Leading any party . They are all scumbag politicians. Labour and liberal inclusive. Self serving. Fuji the country scumbags the lot
He walked across Afghanistan and there's a widespread belief he was actually working for the intelligence services which obviously isn't verifiable.
He left the Tories because he has integrity..
I have always liked Rory Stewart.
He talks well and knows what he is talking about.
He’s had an extremely interesting life.
He should be listened to.
Now is a good time for people to realize all human life is precious🙏
This guy needs to be at the forefront of UK foreign diplomacy and strategy.
He was when he was a spy, allegedly.
If the Tory party hadn't been so wowed by Boris's bluster, we could have had this man as our PM.
@@peterd788 spy for whom?!! I have never heard that allegation!
So he can sell out like they all have to.
Love Rory - what a genuine loss to his party. Great interview, thank you!
This guy has a 3 part documentary on the history of Afghanistan that is much watch. I believe he grew up there. The Afghanistan we don't know is multicultural, rich in history, multi ethnic, complex.
Hi are you referring to the BBC documentary, which is in 2 parts and available on iPlayer - is there another one?
I don't believe he grew up in Afghanistan although he was born in Hong Kong, he refers to walking across Afghanistan in the documentary following the 2003 invasion.
As an American, I feel simply awful seeing this. We let our friends down. And I personally let the issue fall into the background, subsumed by the inanities of life. By the time I heard about the withdrawal I just sort of nodded along, thinking we’d simply been there too long yet not considering what sort of void we’d leave behind. Now I’m part of the problem 😢
He would make an amazing PM
Hope he gets himself back in the commons
He’s a dreamer, look what he didn’t do as prisons minister after giving it all the big talk, full of it but no substance.
I don’t know enough about Rory Stewart to give him my full support, but my god I wish he was PM instead of Bozo.
He admitted to smoking opium in Afghanistan. Seems quite open and honest. Just hide the hookah pipe when ever he's about.
If you don’t know enough of him, how can you wish he was PM?
@@iangascoigne8231 Did you stop reading just before, "instead of Bozo"?
@@josephclarke6770 No I am just asking how you can give full support to someone you don’t know enough about. He could be just as useless as Bozo.
Like his comments on Afghanistan, it was a disagreement between MI6 and the CIA.
Thankyou Rory for your knowledge and insight into this tragedy, my I wish you all the best for your future 😊
the disco beat helps but should be louder in the mix to make this an absolute Banger. Thank God it fades out once the interview gets properly underway
We went in for dubious reasons, messed it up and left those who were loyal to us in the lurch. Shameful.
It is shameful, but this is what the UK and USA does.
@@user-eb4fq9jm5v This was a NATO mission, shame on all of them.
9/11 was a “dubious reason”?
Are You talking about Africa ..
@@alexcrawford6162 for an assassination on foreign soil 'Yes' a perfectly valid reason. Its what we did in Bin Laden's case in the end anyway. For an extended invasion/occupation? 'No.' especially after bin Ladin was assassinated in 2011.
The reason the British empire didn't hold Afghanistan previously nor did the Russians - despite that geographic locality and its inherent desirability - is its topology. It takes away the massive advantages superior tech brings to open warfare.
The reason we went in and stayed in is obvious when you look at the globe. A tame Afghanistan could act as an access point to the 'stans' and allow US and associated allies influences to spread into that region. Luring them away from Russia. Additionally, it provided a potential deployment area for an invasion of Iran or sorties into China.
My guess is that now the opportunity - and will - to invade Iran is gone. Iran now has powerful friends the Abqaiq and Khurais attack in 2019 proved that. Russia wants US influence out of its backyard and China would prefer Afghanistan wasn't in the US pocket.
So now leaving makes sense politically from a de-escalation point of view.
Just imagine if Rory Stewart had actually made it to PM, I'd bet a year's wage the UK would be in a far better place right now.
He talks well but I'm afraid the situation would be no different in terms of Afghanistan, were he to be in charge. The moment the US decide to pull out, the rest of us have to follow suit. That is the simple truth of our military capabilities. I am not sure he is correct to say we pretend to have a huge military capacity. I think most sensible people understand where we stand on the world stage.
@@simonj5615 To some extent that is true. However, there is a refugee crisis and we could reasonably expect a more enlightened and human response to that from an administration led by Rory Stewart than one led by BJ - particularly given that BJ has seen fit to put someone who gives every appearance of being a compassion vacuum in charge of the Home Office.
@Wasssup Dawwwg I FYI reported you because you're spamming the same comment.
@Wasssup Dawwwg spam is spam. its not welcome. Its pollution. That's why there is an option to report it. You're just damaging the comment section for everyone, not having a discussion.
@Wasssup Dawwwg I'm doing you a favour by pointing out your error. You know your comments will just dissapear with out you noticing if they're reported a certain number of times right?
Its not about control its about not having loads of spam ruining the comment section for everyone.
Stop trying to argue , take it as advice and move on, modify your behavior and put more effort into your comments. You think a spammed copy and paste comment affects people , do you think it makes your case stronger, people can tell and many are just going to ignore you.. Look in your email spam folder, that's how basic your copied and pasted basic bot comments will look like to sensible people.
Rory Stewart had said that the USA and UK should go back to their home from Afghanistan, now he says "why did they leave?".
He oversimplifies the risk to US and UK forces when suggesting we keep just 2,500 in country and he is not harsh enough on the afghan forces who packed up and went home when the taliban showed up. The US spent $2 trillion on Afghanistan. Enough is enough. Time to try meeting our security needs in another way.
I agree. Additionally the essence of prolonging this Afghanistan business is to prolong the massive corruption carried out by the well connected.
"Enough is enough."
As soon as the US, UK, EU, etc get hit by terrorists trained up in Afghanistan (again), the West will be back in there (again). The terrorists area already attacking the Americans and killing them and the US havent even fully withdrawn yet...
Its a disgrace.
He talks about corruption as if it's nothing, as if it's a laughable child's play. Now that Afghans got their country back corruption is markedly reduced just within a week.
Think....
@@bluesky-ps4vb The Taliban arent interested in services like health care, they want to implement fundamentalist sharia law (their undisciplined version that is).
You might be able to say that there is less corruption under the Taliban, but that is balanced against extreme repression, and total lack of any concern for provision of services.
Whatever services continue under Taliban Mk 2 are services that were built with primarily American money. When those services are expended, the schools will close, the roads will turn to rubble, the people will die from simple treatable diseases, etc.
Its a disaster.
@@wildec2 And what did you do for 20 years? Invade and coerce your de-values, meanwhile put your parents in nursing homes because you can't be bothered to take care of your parents? And put children in daycare at a young tender age so you can free your youth to invade? And slash at marriages and distort the meaning of marriage altogether?? Are those your values you want to impose on others?
Time for the Tories to get back Rory Stewart. Impressive interview.
@Perusals I have not always agreed with him on Brexit. But he is sound about foreign policy in Afghanistan and not afraid to speak out about the blunders Boris has allowed.
He wouldn't fit in with Boris's little clique.
@Perusals a geek? I don't know about you, but geeks seem like the guys I want running the shop. As for clown, I'll divert your attention to the fella currently in the top job.
@Perusals lol he's worked undercover, he's got bigger balls than you
Wait until the press find out he went to eton
Only way I’d ever consider voting Tory is if this man leads them
You are joking aren't you.you would probably vote for trump too if you could.
I agree Theresa may was a good option but the idiots in the party made it hell for her.
Likewise
It's ok, they keep winning without your vote anyway 😉
Rory Stewart OBE is a brilliant extraordinary man. So well learned that when he was a student in Oxford, he was a private tutor to no less than the young princes William and Harry during the summer.
The royals are parasites on huge amount of benefits and think they should be above the law
And that's supposed to be a commendation - he taught royalty?
@@Skylark_Jones what have you done?
a private tutor wich stuffed their wifes full of crazy ideas?
He’s the best PM we haven’t yet had. Cometh the hour. Cometh the man.
Rory, one of the few Torys I like because he thinks of the people. I genuinely agree with everything he's said. However it is because he has morals and thinks about people he will never be elected leader for the Tories. Maybe switch party? He's a good guy.
A rare beast - a Tory with emphaty and integrity.
and so wrong with brexit and the eu
Don't play party politics!!
Not as rare as a Labour MP with a mind and a soul.
@Wasssup Dawwwg Grow up!
@Wasssup Dawwwg Whatever you believe imprisons you.
"They never imagined he'd go the full Trump on us" lol
Not everyone follows the herd(it’s All about divide and rule).
Also he didn’t go “full Trump” what he said was far more nuanced.
I find it disingenuous of him to say the US threw away all the progress in Afghanistan, etc, etc, when for years he's been pointing out the futility of regime change there. IN his documentary just 2 years ago he interviewed a Russian general who said that they knew, back when Soviets occupied Afghanistan, that all their work would be undone by the Mujahedeen within 2 weeks of their leaving. In 2011, he said "the Taliban is NOT an existential threat" and "it's extremely unlikely that the Taliban will EVER be able to take over the country". He suggested that by withdrawing troops, keeping a "light footprint" and letting the Afghans control the changes, all would be well. So guess what, that's exactly what we did. We reduce the troop numbers to less than 9800 in 2015, and continued the drawdown. We transferred policing and military action to the Afghans. We agreed to give money to the Afghan government to use as they saw fit. Taliban attacks increased. Afghan government corruption increased. After more than 6 years of doing what Stewart claimed would work what happened? As soon as we withdraw all our troops the Taliban take control (something Stewart said could never happen) and the Afghan government flees the country. The 300,000 plus Afghan army that was supposed to secure the country during and after our withdrawal, deserts and hands everything over to the Taliban. So what would Stewart have us do? Another surge? Stay in Afghanistan with a small "foot print" for another 5 years, 10 years, 20? This ending was inevitable and Stewart knows it. The real cause of this mess was the getting into Afghanistan in the first place. As Stewart pointed out 2 years ago, "getting into Afghanistan is easy. The hard part is getting out."
Best PM the UK never had. What a missed opportunity.
Wait a minute ! He's a lefty .
to soft. and cannot read a siutaion. look at the EU was proved so wrong he even admitted it
He is taking a very easy position as the decision to pull out seems ludicrous. Not sure there is much we could do about it though.
What utter bollocks. The UK has know that this was going to happen 18 months ago. The mistake was Occupying the place. It was not worth a single British life.
bravo
He's a very intelligent and articulate person.
However, perhaps sympathy is the wrong word, but I can see to some degree where the US was coming from. They'd got themselves into a situation that appeared never ending - how do they disengage themselves? Impossible apparently because the US supported state could not exist without US support. Ie effectively they are there forever more.
I expect the administration did a political calculation that however bad for their credibility this is now, it will blow over long before any future election. Doesn't take the Afghans feelings into account, though.
Just shows the dangers of starting something without having an exit plan.
Perhaps the days of the US being the world's policeman are ending. The thought of Russia or China fulfilling that role are pretty scary.
Did you not watch the interview?
He mentioned the generals were fooled into believing Biden would take the pragmatic approach and leave a small force on the ground.
The generals effectively presented 3 options(2 stupid, one good), staying, immediate evac or leaving a small presence on the ground.
Instead Biden did a Trump, and decided to pick a stupid option.
They failed to realize Biden was a lifelong politician, not very good planner.
10 Year ago Rory gave a talk at TED and at the time it was 10 years into the war. Rory was advocating that the war should stop and all foreign forces should get out. This war has seen 3 other US president and now the present administration has decided to pull the plug. Couple of days ago, I saw another interview Rory did and he said that the US should NOT leave and blame the present Adminstration. Why the 180 degree turn???? Putting the blame on the present Adminstration is not fair but i would agree that the pulling out can be handle better.
oh, it's usually the people who speak well that do the worst. Did this guy know America was going to pull out of Afghanistan when Joe announced in April 2021, for sure this guy knew, and he didn't give any advice, but when it happened, he dumped everything. story on someone else. He went through villages in Afghanistan. So does he know the government there is corrupt? Did you know 300,000 soldiers are paid to fight? if they don't get paid then they won't fight for their homeland and freedom. Fortunately, this guy is not the president of the United States, but Joe, who knows the war in Afghanistan is a bog.
Can't help but feel Blair is dodging a by bullet here. He should have been driving a planned exit strategy before we went in......noone is talking about him.
As a "neutral" Irish man, I don't really have the high ground to be able to opine too deeply about the invasion of a country by another Western country. However, I do fervently believe that if anyone ever goes again to the UN and seeks approval for a resolution to invade another country (I don't recall if this happened with Afghanistan, although I know this happened with Iraq), there should be a very well defined result which indicates the invasion is over. And there shoo,d then be a pre-approved plan as to how the invading army gets itself back out again. Deposing the Taliban to get at Al Queda (the original reason to invade Afghanistan) was all very well, but how were the Allies going to get themselves out afterwards. Biden was right that the West couldn't stay there for forever, but departinng the way they did was awful.
Blair had a plan, bring up Afghan civil society and keep Afghanistan in a lawful world. And as Rory Steward explained, the cost for keeping presence were minimal.
Afghanistan is sitting on Trillions of natural resources. And the Chinese are said to be already negotiating with Afghan warlords.
Georg Antonischki Yes, and sadly China has a terrible human rights policy. They won’t care about what happens to the people of Afghanistan as long as they get the minerals they want.
Whi knows what Blair's exit strategy would have been, that never became a question for him to consider. The people who needed an exit strategy should have formulated their own. Plenty of time to prepare since trump announced the withdrawal. But yes, let's blame Blair, brown, Cameron, May....any prime minister , except the one carrying the can.
@@amberann1229 there is a good chance for the American withdrawal to be an act of Putin. The Americans are humiliated and lost power and presence there. The last gift (or ransom payment) Trump did...
Seems like a very clear-eyed analysis.
From his track record he sees through tribalism and hysteria
"Seems", ah yes; politicians are very good at seeming.
Yeah shame that the Afghans havnt got past their tribal issues
You are wrong on both counts. Blame George Bush, he bears responsibility along with Blair and the rest. All that happens now is the inevitability of his wrong choices! The mission was bound to fail, at least Biden has brought the pain to a finality, that was always bound to happen. You are wrong, MP or not!
It may be over but abandoning the Afghans who assisted is a complete disgrace.
What an interview 👏👏 the backdrop and Rory Stewart 🤍🤎
Rory should have been the leader of the Tories. A real pity he slipped through the net.
I'm sorry for what my nation has done for the past 5 years (hell, past 20), the USA is a weak and morally abhorrent decaying empire and I'm afraid we will only get worse as time goes on. Best the world distances itself away from us.
yes afghan didnt house terroists that made the 911 attacks thats made up
It has never been an empire. It plays at times in little pockets of the world and leaves when things get a bit tough.
For the past 5 years?? Trump was great! However electing Biden/Harris I thought was a disaster and I’ve been proven right. The election of Biden was about the hate of Trump rather then the love of Biden and look what it’s lead to. Everybody hated Trump because he said ‘nasty’ words. Yet in the end he killed few people. Look at Biden! His now responsible for the deaths and subjugation of many!!
this is probably better journalism than you can get from tv (I wouldn't know though, as I do not have a tv set)
Rory was always a sensible and credible chap. His perspective and life experience has always been one worth listening to. You can tell that he is genuinely disappointed with this outcome given his relationship and personal involvement. He would have made an interesting PM, a different kind of PM. Unfortunately his position on Brexit made that impossible.
Can’t believe they chose Boris over this guy.
I can. The Tory party has been taken over by the brexit cult, they don't want a leader that talks sense.
They don't like people who are honest and who have morals
Rory, has always given a balanced and insightful view, since he has been on the ground and in the field. He is one of the few politicians that has integrity, who speaks real sense...
He is full of it, actually. Reminds me of 'mayor Pete' in the U.S. - same vibe, really. I can easily imagine them both sitting together in a CIA class of 2001-2002, or later, during their 'service in Afghanistan', stationed in Kabul at the agency's back-office, picking targets for drone attacks or overseeing heroin trafficking, while learning to call each other a 'veteran' with a straight face.
12:01 - 16 000 contractors worked on helicopters' maintenance alone! But Rory wants you to believe that it were just 3 000 of soldiers whom we could keep in Afghanistan forever and at almost no cost. Now imagine the overall number of people on the US payroll [directly and indirectly via NGOs or the sham Afghan government], who have been sucking the taxpayer's tit for all those happy years, and whose primal scream protesting the tit's withdrawal we are hearing now on every corner of the warmongering media.
Thank you
Rory talks about the Afghan people being trapped and articulates his point so elegantly. The same applies to the people of Palestine. They are being trapped in their own home land. Yet U.K. or any other ‘developed’ country is not interested in their case. Makes you wonder why there’s a double standard. Surely every human regardless of their origin deserves equal human rights.
He flip flopped. He said end the war and now is angry it ended
Best video on my feed today
He has practically defied his own logic in the brilliant two part documentary he made ten years ago on Afghanistan saying that invading nations like the British and soviets found it easy to invade but were caught in a quagmire and would refuse to leave out of pride and desire not to let their sacrifices go to waste. His wish that the coalition should have remained there indefinitely is simply bizarre and impractical in the light of his fascinating and shrewd observations in the aforementioned documentary. He also failed to mention that the country suffered from gross mismanagement and corruption with only Kabul and some cities in the north being under full government control with many Afghans wishing to see the back of the coalition and welcoming the Taliban’s (unfortunate but inevitable) return to power. Also the whole world is going through a devastating pandemic that has drained the treasuries of America and Britain making any further expenditure in far-off regions like Afghanistan untenable regardless of the low military fatalities there in the past two years.
He pretty much called all this 10 years ago .
Rory Stewart shows himself, once again, to be the Prime Minister we should have had. Genuinely a voice worth listening to.
And he was my local MP
This guy is hypocrite. This very man was in 2011-2012 arguing that failed states must not fixed and was against troop surge in Afghanistan.
He did make an incorrect statement, Nato troops have died within the past two years (outside of this past month). To follow that, how can we as nations justify sending millions of pounds/dollars and lives (not millions of course) on a foreign nation when their nation wont even stand up for itself? Its not a nation, and they have no national identity, they have religious and tribal identity. Stop being World Police, that is my argument.
Rory would make an excellent PM. 🖖
That’s why he will never be voted in. Shame really - be good to have some honesty in politics
As others have said this guy should be prime minister.
I don't live in the UK, nor British, but I listened to him in interview with James O'Brien a couple of years ago, and I thought he was terrific. I would most definitely give him my vote.
Did not his documents about Afghanistan imply that we should get out of Afghanistan immediately? We cannot rule over them by occupation force.
I think it was when he was Governor of Iraq (Prince of the Marshes.) that he saw the futility of trying to unite the different factions. in Iraq.. ..although he tried..