President Joe Biden this week declared that the Afghanistan War, the longest in U.S. history, was over and that after the evacuation of thousands of Americans and Afghan allies, there was no vital national security interest that justified staying on. But after 20 years, the withdrawal of troops and civilians this summer was messy — and deadly.

CQ Roll Call senior defense writer John M. Donnelly joins us on the Political Theater podcast to discuss how much of it was standard operating procedure and the lack of good options for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

Show Notes:

• RIP, rally ’round the flag
• Taliban sanctions complicate dire Afghanistan humanitarian picture
• Republicans plan barrage of NDAA amendments on Afghanistan
• Foreign aid for Afghanistan in flux after Taliban takeover
• Afghan refugee arrivals will test US resettlement system