Thread by @TrueBoots

This is a lot to read & digest. But it's worth saying how valuable @SIGARHQ has been to evaluating US mission & outcomes in Afghanistan. So much important info has been hiding in plain sight in SIGAR's thorough reporting. wapo.st/38mHzxM

@SIGARHQ And exactly none of this comes as a surprise to anyone who has deployed or who has been paying attention. Thank you @washingtonpost for breaking through the apathy barrier with what veterans have been trying to point out for years and years.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost “So they all went in for whatever their rotation was, nine months or six months, and were given that mission, accepted that mission and executed that mission....Then they all said, when they left, they accomplished that mission. Every single commander."

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost "Not one commander is going to leave Afghanistan . . . and say, ‘You know what, we didn’t accomplish our mission.’ ”

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost Rinse, repeat.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost But here's the thing. Americans & Coalition allies have tragically lost their lives. But the sacrifice of Afghan #ANSDF and everyday civilians has been positively staggering.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost Also worth noting: humanitarian aid workers & journalists have been targeted by Taliban AQ & ISIS. Unlisted here are Afghan educators & government officials who've been assassinated as they've worked to build & strengthen government infrastructure & capabilities.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost Back in 2009, before I deployed twice more to Afghanistan, I wrote about Taliban being sponsored by Pakistan, tho that detail got cut in the edits. I was also blasted in a radio interview for conflating Afghan & Pakistani Taliban elements. nyti.ms/2rwnhkP

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost In 2010, I spent 9 mos in Paktia province working w/ #ANDSF & getting attacked by Taliban + AQ based in Pakistan. (Kept that radio interview with AfPak "expert" who blasted me fresh in mind.) Zabiullah Mujahid kept telling press (from Pakistan) they were beating us.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost I've got 31 months of deployment frustrations & lamentations to vent certainly. But it's also worth noting that the majority of us got to come home to America. There are #ANDSF heroes who've been fighting these many years for their country both because of & in spite of us.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost And so far US negotiations w/ Taliban have yielded agreement to stop attacking US bases, but no stop to their atrocities against #ANDSF or civilians: bit.ly/2Yyzm5g

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost I remember thinking in early 2010 we were "turning a corner" in Afghanistan w/ surge & seeming political will to support Afghan govt & #ANDSF. Early on my tour I was an optimist. By that December, I felt firmly that there had never been a corner to turn. For many reasons.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost I remember feeling personally devastated when Gen. McChrystal was fired. I was actually really bought in on his ethos & proud to be deployed forward under his command. I cheered the closing of fast food at BAF & emphasis on partnership w/ #ANDSF.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost I mean, remember? Remember when McChrystal gave a stark & sober report on Afghanistan in 2009, dispelling previous myths? newyorker.com/news/george-pa…

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost We ramped up w/ surge in Afghanistan.. then even more came out about what was happening. Didn't ppl read this? I mean, not the tough-guy stuff, but the boots-on-ground stuff: rollingstone.com/politics/polit…

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost And I quote: "Even those closest to McChrystal know the rising anti-war sentiment at home doesn’t begin to reflect how deeply fucked up things are in Afghanistan. 'If Americans pulled back & started paying attention, it would become even less popular,' -SR adviser to McChrystal."

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost I know everyone who's deployed to Afghanistan has stories of feeling abandoned. But seriously, where were y'all shocked #AfghanistanPapers readers back in 2010? My base & ppl were getting attacked by Taliban when this Rolling Stone thing blew up stateside.

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost This section is so emblematic: “I get COIN. I get all that. McChrystal comes here, explains it, it makes sense. But then he goes away on his bird, and by the time his directives get passed down to us through Big Army, they’re all fucked up.."

@SIGARHQ @washingtonpost "... either because somebody is trying to cover their ass, or because they just don’t understand it themselves. But we’re fucking losing this thing.”