NEW: Current and former officials say attempts to warn the Biden Administration of the Afghan military's lack of capabilities were hampered by a National Security Council staff that is heavy on think-tankers and light on field experience. independent.co.uk/voices/biden-a…
“There were some reports that were just passed right over, and others that got a couple of glimpses of highlights, critical information and stuff like that [at top levels]. It just didn’t seem to hit them, said one military intelligence officer. independent.co.uk/voices/biden-a…
The officer, a veteran of multiple tours of duty in Afghanistan, said they felt reports that Afghan defense forces were not up to snuff would “get pushed off to the side” by senior NSC officials who did not want to “create a panic”. independent.co.uk/voices/biden-a…
ex-Obama NSC official @BrettBruen called the Afghanistan exit a “Trump-style process which we expected [the NSC] guys to avoid," made worse by a “dearth of institutional expertise” at the highest levels of the NSC. independent.co.uk/voices/biden-a…
“This is what happens when you put a bunch of political appointees into positions where you ought to have those with recent relevant experience advising the president," @BrettBruen said. “They’re not in the room. They’re not being heard." independent.co.uk/voices/biden-a…
One current official described an environment in which Biden political appointees are suspicious of career officials who [as required by their job] played a role in implementing Trump administration policy. independent.co.uk/voices/biden-a…
“[Biden appointees] have treated us the same way as the Trump people treated us, as if we’re moles who can’t be trusted,” they said. “The difference is that the Biden people have been more polite about it.”independent.co.uk/voices/biden-a…
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