Thread by @JJSchroden

Comments on #Afghanistan by @PentagonPresSec from yesterday's #DOD presser in this THREAD. 1/n defense.gov/Newsroom/Trans…

Q: You're aware I'm sure about reports over the weekend. With the #Taliban clearly rolling along at this point, does @SecDef believe that the US should increase the amount of airstrikes & support it's giving to the Afghans? 2/n

@SecDef And can you say whether or not the Pentagon is making any recommendations to be allowed to do airstrikes beyond August 31, as currently planned? 3/n

@SecDef MR. KIRBY: I don't have anything to update w/respect to what authorities might exist after August 31st. I think when @SecDef was last here at the podium, he said that our focus is on executing the authorities & using the capabilities we have through the end of the drawdown... 4/n

@SecDef ...which is at the end of the month. And I'm simply not going to speculate what things are going to look like beyond that. On your first question, @SecDef shares the concern of the international community about the security situation in #Afghanistan... 5/n

@SecDef ...which is clearly not going in the right direction. & @SecDef continues to believe that the Afghan forces have the capability, they have the capacity to make a big difference on the battlefield. He has maintained that we will continue to support them with the authority... 6/n

@SecDef ...where & when feasible, understanding that it's not always going to be feasible. But where & when feasible, we'll continue to support them with airstrikes, for instance. The other thing is we're focused on completing the drawdown by the end of the month... 7/n

@SecDef ...& by transitioning to a different bilateral relationship with Afghan forces that will be one of financial & logistical maintenance support from outside the country. That's the focus. That's what we're driving at. But again, as we have the authorities & capabilities... 8/n

@SecDef ...& obviously, we have fewer capabilities now than we did before the drawdown. But as we have them, and I have them available, we'll use them where and when feasible. 9/n

@SecDef Q: The #Taliban increased their attacks in #Afghanistan & they control most of the key provinces in AFG. Even @ashrafghani & his prime minister say that behind that TB activity is #Pakistan. & Afghan people asked why the US doesn't bring pressure on Pakistan? 10/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani Afghan people did not understand that #Pakistan is the enemy or friend.

MR. KIRBY: We...

Q: The expectation is very high to bring pressure on Pakistan. 11/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani MR. KIRBY: We continue to have conversations with Pakistani leadership about the safe havens that exist along that border between #Afghanistan & #Pakistan. & we're mindful that those safe havens are only providing a source of more insecurity, more instability inside AFG... 12/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...& we're not bashful about having that discussion w/Pakistani leaders. We're also mindful that #Pakistan & the Pakistani people also fall victim to terrorist activities that emanate from that same region. So, we all have a shared sense of the importance of closing down... 13/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...those safe havens & not allowing them to be used by the #Taliban or other terrorist networks to sow discord. & again, we're having that conversation with the Pakistanis all the time.

Q: Why aren't you doing more to help the Afghan forces? 14/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani MR. KIRBY: As I said, we are continuing to support them -- & I assume you're asking about airstrikes, I'm guessing? Because we are helping Afghan forces in a myriad of other ways. But I'm assuming that's your question. As I said, nothing has changed about the fact that... 15/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...we have the authorities to do it throughout the drawdown. We have some capability to do it from obviously over the horizon, and the strikes that we have taken have all been from over the horizon. And we'll continue to use those capabilities where and when feasible... 16/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...But as I said, it's not always going to be feasible in every case. And the #Taliban has been making advances; there's no question. The Afghans have capacity; they have capability, they have a capable Air Force. And as I said, weeks ago, whatever the outcome here... 17/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...when we look back, we're going to be able to know, we're going to be able to say, that it was driven by leadership, Afghan leadership, political and military leadership, that's what's vital here. 18/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani Q: When you say that the Afghan forces have the means to defend themselves, what proof do you have? They've lost now six provincial capitals in #Afghanistan. 19/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani MR. KIRBY: I have the proof that they have a force of over 300,000 soldiers & police. They have a modern Air Force -- an Air Force, by the way, which we continue to contribute to and to improve. They have modern weaponry; they have an organizational structure... 20/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...They have a lot of advantages that the #Taliban don't have. TB don't have an Air Force, TB don't own airspace, they have a lot of advantages. Now, they have to use those advantages. They have to exert that leadership. & it's got to come both from a pol & from the mil side.21/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani Q: They're using those advantages right now in the country?

MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to get into an assessment every day here, district by district, provincial capital by provincial capital. As I said, at the beginning of my answer, the @SecDef is watching this closely... 22/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ... And we're deeply concerned about the trends and where it's going. The reason why not is because it's their country to defend now; this is their struggle. The commander and chief have given us a new mission, and that mission is to draw down by the end of this month... 23/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...and that's where we're moving to. What it looks like beyond that, I'm simply not going to speculate. But this is their country. These are their military forces. These are their provincial capitals; their people to defend... 24/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...And it's really going to come down to the leadership that they're willing to exude here, at this particular moment. 25/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani Q: John, as far as the United Nations are concerned, have the United Nations ask all their members any role in #Afghanistan now after the U.S. leaves AFG? And also, what role do you think now #India and #Pakistan should or are playing there? 26/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani MR. KIRBY: I won't answer the U.N. question. That's really for my colleagues at the State Department and the U.N. Ambassador up in New York City. That's out of our lane. But I would -- to your second question, we want all neighboring countries to not take actions... 27/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani ...that make the situation in #Afghanistan more dangerous than it is already, and to continue to try to use international pressure to get a negotiated peaceful political settlement to this war. 28/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani Q: As far as #India is concerned, since @SecDef & @SecBlinken both were in India & also now, Prime Min Modi mentioned India is chairing the UN Security Council chairmanship now. Do you think US has ever asked India or India asked the US about India's role in #Afghanistan now?29/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: I'm not aware of discussions between the U.S. and #India bilaterally, at the U.N. level. As you know, India has played a constructive role in #Afghanistan in the past in terms of training and other infrastructure improvements... 30/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...Clearly, that kind of work, that kind of effort to help Afghanistan, you know, maintain stability and good governance, is always welcomed. But in terms of the specifics, I would again refer you to my state department colleagues. 31/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: Are you surprised that Afghan security forces are unable to stop the #Taliban's onslaught? Or is this kind of momentum that the Taliban has something that is expected? 32/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: I would say we're again deeply concerned by the security situation in #Afghanistan. I would remind you that even before the President made his decision about withdrawal, even before the President took office, the #Taliban had been making advances on the ground... 33/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...Now, clearly, those advances have accelerated and deepened. Nobody's walking away from that, but it's not that we weren't seeing the kinds of things that they were interested in on the ground. 34/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: OK, but you're concerned. But what about surprised? You're not surprising or...

MR. KIRBY: I think I've characterized it appropriately. We're concerned, and we've made that concern clear about the deteriorating security situation on the ground. 35/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: So, you've outlined what the advantages are that the Afghan forces have and what the #Taliban doesn't have. Then what can answer why they're not having more success in dealing with what the TB essentially have been rolling out systematically for a while now? 36/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Why is it that they're not able to respond at a higher level?

MR. KIRBY: Hey, I'm not going to speak for another military and give assessments here of their battlefield performance on a day-to-day basis. As I said at the outset, I think when whatever the outcomes are... 37/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...when we look back on this, we're going to see that leadership, leadership in the field, leadership, and in Kabul were really the keys. And I think I'd leave it at that. And one more from the phones here. 38/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: You mentioned that the #Taliban advances have accelerated and deepened. Does that mean that the TB is sort of rolling through these areas taking areas faster than the Pentagon or than the military had expected? And if so why do you think that's occurring? 39/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: I don't want to get into as assessment of faster than was expected or not expected. Clearly the security situation is deteriorating and just over the last what 72 hours roughly five provincial capitals fell to the Taliban. That's deeply concerning... 40/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...Again, I don't want to get into a statement about surprise or not, it's concerning and we're watching that very closely. 41/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: Given that the U.S. airstrikes are all over the horizon -- it means the planes are up in the air for some time -- to what extent is the Pentagon concerned that the #Taliban have been able to kind of map out the routes that the U.S. is taking here... 42/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...in order to coordinate their offenses, to miss where the planes are most likely to be? & also, how much can the US do in cases where it seems, like we saw over the weekend, where Afghan forces don't put up any fight or don't put up a fight for very long before retreating? 43/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: Well, the answer to that question is "not much." I mean, if we don't have forces on the ground in partnership with them, and we will certainly support from the air, where and when feasible, but that's no substitute for leadership on the ground... 44/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...it's no substitute for political leadership in Kabul, it's no substitute for using the capabilities and capacity that we know they have. They have an Air Force, the #Taliban doesn't. They have modern weaponry and organizational skills, the Taliban doesn't. 45/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...They have superior numbers to the #Taliban. And so again, they have the advantages and it's really now their time to use those advantages. And as for your first question, again, I don't want to get into specifics about each and every airstrike and how they're conducted... 46/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...What I would tell you is that where and when they are feasible, we use the capabilities that we have most available to meet the needs of whatever that strike mission and whatever that package needs to be. And we always, in any case, factor in force protection... 47/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...on any military operation we conduct, and that includes aerial strikes on the ground. 48/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: Can you elaborate a bit on just what some of the recent US operations, airstrikes, etc have looked like over the last several days? Lots of questions are getting directed up to the OSD level & I'm just trying to get some clarity & some additional transparency. 49/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: On airstrikes, not going to be a satisfying answer but it'll be an honest one -- we're not going to get into specific details of each and every strike -- where, when, what kind of ordinance. We continue to fly airstrikes in support of Afghan forces on the ground...50/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...where & when feasible. I know you're probably tired of me saying that but that's the truth -- where & when feasible, knowing that it is not going to always be feasible... 51/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...& we have conducted airstrikes in the last several days but I won't get into the specifics about -- about targeting and BDA and -- and that kind of thing. 52/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: Following up on the earlier question, can you say how many bombing flights or strikes have taken place? And does the U.S. have the capacity to increase those or are you at the limits -- the over-the-horizon limits right now? 53/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: I do not, and I won't get into a specific number. And as for our capacity, we have a pretty robust over-the-horizon capability already in the region. And we're going to continue to use it again where and when it makes the most sense, where and when it's feasible. 54/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...And as for whether it needs to step up or step down, that's going to depend, again, on the conditions on the ground and what is feasible from our perspective in terms of -- in terms of effectiveness. 55/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: So you said...
MR. KIRBY: Now what I want to walk you away from is this idea that we plan to accelerate or we plan to decelerate. We're going to cont to support them where and when feasible.
Q: You could accelerate it.
MR. KIRBY: We have a robust capability in the region. 56/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: You've said before and said again today that things are getting worse. We've heard that for several weeks, & that the Afghan leadership needs to step up. Clearly if things are getting worse they're not doing what they need to do. What do they need to do?
MR. KIRBY: It's...57/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: Are they failing?

MR. KIRBY: That is not a question that the department's going to take a position on. As I've said, they have all the advantages. It's really about using those advantages to maximum effect. 58/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...That question is much better put to Afghan officials in Kabul & in the field, not to the Dept of Defense.

Q: This has been going on for 4 or 6 weeks, two months already to say that same thing. What aren't they doing that they could do to stop this advance of the #Taliban?59/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: Yes...

Q: I mean, clearly you're supporting them to stop it but it's not working. 60/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: I also don't think that that's an assessment we're going to make here from the Dept of Defense & those are questions better put to Afghan officials. This is, as I said, when we look back it's going to come back to leadership and what leadership was demonstrated... 61/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...or not, and I'm not going to get into an assessment here day-by-day of what they're right or what they're doing wrong, certainly here from Washington not being there on the field alongside Afghan forces. It would be inappropriate for us to do that. 62/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: Is this a political question on #Afghanistan? Any opinion?

MR. KIRBY: Again, I'm not going to assess the decisions that Afghan officials are or not making. Those are questions that really should be put to them to speak to how they're executing their strategy... 63/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...It's not a U.S. military strategy, it's Afghan strategy to defend their own people, and -- and they should speak to that, not to us. What we can speak to is that we're going to maintain a good relationship with Afghan forces going forward... 64/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...we're going to continue to help them defend themselves to the best ability we have for the remainder of the drawdown, and I'm not going to speculate about what it's going to look like beyond that. 65/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken Q: Given the last development, the development that (inaudible) 72 hours, do you still find it relevant to say the mission was successfully accomplished in Afghanistan? 66/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: I assume you're talking about the U.S. mission in #Afghanistan. The President has said that we accomplished the mission for which our troops were sent to Afghanistan, and that was to disrupt and defeat Al-Qaeda and the threat that Al-Qaeda represented... 67/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken ...to the homeland, and that mission has been complete. The President has made that clear.

Q: But we are going back 20 years -- back ...

68/n

@SecDef @ashrafghani @SecBlinken MR. KIRBY: The other thing the President has said is that we're not going to allow #Afghanistan to be a safe haven to -- from which terrorist groups can attack the homeland. That's why we're going to maintain an over-the-horizon counter-terrorism capability in the region. 69/69