Analysts and officials continue their months-long struggle to understand what went so wrong so fast to enable the Taliban’s rush to complete power in Afghanistan. 

As overnight reports depicted harrowing scenes from a besieged Kabul, analysts and officials continue their months-long struggle to unpack what went so wrong so fast to enable the Taliban’s rush to complete power in Afghanistan. 

Prominent among those attempting to deconstruct the unfolding humanitarian and military disaster was Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who reportedly blamed the Afghan National Army on Sunday.

“You can’t buy willpower, and you can’t buy leadership,” Austin said during a virtual meeting with U.S. national leaders, according to Fox News. Others who joined Austin on two calls included Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley; and members of the House and Senate, the outlet reported. 

Austin told the House he was “beyond disappointed” that Afghan forces offered scant resistance to Taliban forces around the country, according to the report. Read more from Just The News.