Ex-NATO Commander Stavridis Says ‘We Have Lost This Conflict’ On Afghanistan

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Admiral James Stavridis went on MSNBC on Wednesday to give his thoughts on Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban after the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

He went so far as to say that the United States has “lost this conflict” in Afghanistan, which he said we must ensure does not “become an ungoverned space.”

Stavridis Sounds Off

“Well, as we say in north Florida, sometimes you have to know the difference between quitting and getting beat,” Stavridis said. “And what I mean by that is we have got to recognize that in this case, we have lost this conflict.”

“Great break, therefore, we need to be thinking ahead on what we do that’s in our interest,” he continued. “That’s why I was encouraged, extremely so, to see Ambassador Bill Burns — you know, look in a dictionary under diplomat, there’s his picture — go to negotiate with the Taliban.”

Stavridis Doubles Down

“We need to think about how we can come in over the horizon if we need to,” Stavridis added. “There are practical things we may need to continue to do militarily, intelligence gathering, all of those kinds of things, so Katty is correct to say getting these Afghan partners out is a part of salving the wounds of Afghan veterans.”

“Another big part is making sure that going forward, we ensure America’s safety,” Stavridis continued. “We don’t allow this to become an ungoverned space.”

“We don’t allow another 9/11, and we do that if we have to from over the horizon, we do with the combination of diplomacy, economic incentives, military if we need it,” he concluded. “We’ve still got a big job ahead in Afghanistan, Willie. The game has changed. We have to change with it.”

Newt Gingrich Attacks Biden

This comes after former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich ripped into President Joe Biden for his mishandling of the crisis in Afghanistan.

“Biden’s surrender to the Taliban is now complete,” he tweeted. “He will leave Afghanistan on the Taliban time table even if it leaves Americans and allies stranded in the country. His humiliation and failure is now complete. Worst moral collapse by an American President in our history.”

Biden’s surrender to the Taliban is now complete. He will leave Afghanistan on the Taliban time table even if it leaves Americans and allies stranded in the country. His humiliation and failure is now complete. Worst moral collapse by an American President in our history.

— Newt Gingrich (@newtgingrich) August 24, 2021

This piece was written by James Samson on August 26, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.