Thread by @Charles_Lister

"I absolutely reject that somehow, what's about to happen to women because of the #Taliban taking over the government is simply something we have to tolerate as the prince of doing business in South & Central Asia."

@BrookingsInst President Gen Allen speaking to @MiddleEastInst:

@BrookingsInst @MiddleEastInst "Where this really began to unravel was then when U.S. chose to make a separate deal with the #Taliban, to exclude the #Afghan govt & to set a certain date for when we'd depart... only then did we begin to see the real problem unfold."

Gen Allen speaking to @MiddleEastInst:

@BrookingsInst @MiddleEastInst "When we departed, there was a very real signal: 'you are on your own'... The advisors left... When we pulled out, we took out about 18,000 contractors... the way we equipped them, they relied wholly on those contractors."

Gen. Allen speaking to @MiddleEastInst:

@BrookingsInst @MiddleEastInst "Targets are fleeting.. targeting assumes 'eyes on the target,' boots on the ground.. but we have none of that. We have very limited capacity to identify or monitor targets.

Over the horizon, talk about it all you want.. it's going to be a challenge."

Gen Allen @MiddleEastInst:

@BrookingsInst @MiddleEastInst Are we safer today than pre-9/11?

Gen. Allen: "No, I really don't think so.. there are other terror threats that we need to be concerned about.. I'm hearing there's already a movement towards #Afghanistan."

The #Haqqani Network, in the palace, is a 360° terrorist organization."