Former Ambassador to Afghanistan says Trump is responsible for 'demoralizing' Afghan forces

On Anderson Cooper 360 Thursday, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, blamed former President Trump for the current situation in Afghanistan. The Taliban has been surging through the country, capturing cities with seemingly little to no resistance from Afghan forces as the U.S. pulls troops out. Crocker believes Afghan forces were demoralized when a U.S. representative met with Taliban leaders in early 2020 without representation from the Afghan government.

“In my view, we bear a major responsibility for this. Began under President Trump when he authorized negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban without the Afghan government in the room. That was a key Taliban demand. We acceded to it, and it was a huge demoralizing factor for the Afghan government and its security forces,” Crocker said. “We pressed them to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners. Eventually they did it, and watched them go back into the fight against the people who released them. So this is a year and a half worth of demoralization.”

Video Transcript

RYAN CROCKER: In my view we bear a major responsibility for this. It began under President Trump when he authorized negotiations between the US and the Taliban without the Afghan government in the room.

KYLIE MAR: On Anderson Cooper 360 Thursday, former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker, blamed former President Trump for the Taliban's recent surge in Afghanistan. In 2019, Trump had planned to meet with Taliban leaders and the Afghan President at Camp David, but the meeting was canceled. The US later reached a peace agreement with the Taliban in 2020, with no Afghan representative present. And Afghanistan was asked to make certain concessions to the Taliban.

RYAN CROCKER: We pressed them to release 5,000 Taliban prisoners. Eventually, they did it and watched them go back into the fight against the people who released them. So this is a year and a half worth of demoralization.

KYLIE MAR: And Crocker, who was appointed to his position by President George W Bush, believes the US pulling troops out of the country, which was agreed upon in early 2020, means the end for Afghan forces.

RYAN CROCKER: Now this abrupt withdrawal on our part, I think, solidifies it. And there are a number of reasons for the collapse, I think, of the Afghan forces but we cannot ignore that we had a central role in delegitimizing them and their government.

KYLIE MAR: But as the Taliban pushed through the country with little resistance from Afghan forces, Crocker traces the failure back to the supposed peace agreement.

RYAN CROCKER: The US military effecting a complete and final withdrawal, I think, was devastating. And again, it didn't happen overnight. This demoralization process, if you will, began the first day we sat down with the Taliban and excluded the Afghan government.