Kabul: The Untold Story of Biden's Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End

by Jerry Dunleavy, James Hasson

This is the definitive account of the Biden administration's most disgraceful hour -- and the chaos it unleashed in the world.
 
America’s chaotic retreat from Afghanistan in 2021 was nothing short of a horror show. Women and children were trampled to death outside the gates of the Kabul airfield. Desperate Afghans fell from the landing gear of departing planes. Taliban fighters mercilessly whipped and humiliated U.S. civilians trying to access the few square miles still controlled by American forces. Countless Afghan interpreters were abandoned to the mercy of the Taliban after risking their lives alongside American troops for years. And thirteen U.S. service members—eleven of whom were still in preschool on 9/11—were murdered in an ISIS suicide bombing that could easily have been prevented.
 
Still, the full story is worse than anyone imagined. Drawing from hundreds of hours of first-person interviews, investigative reporter Jerry Dunleavy and former Army Captain and Afghanistan veteran James Hasson provide an exclusive, no-holds-barred account of the disastrous events of August 2021. Kabul is packed with shocking and infuriating exclusive details about fatal politics and bureaucracy that contributed to the catastrophe. The authors also tell, for the first time, inspiring stories of the bravery and sacrifices exhibited by countless Americans on the ground.
 
Kabul's original reporting includes eyewitness accounts from servicemembers of all ranks who participated the rescue effort, inside information from senior intelligence officials, interviews with high-ranking members of allied governments, harrowing stories from Americans and Afghan allies willfully abandoned by craven officials in Washington, and exclusive details about veteran-led rescue missions that continue to this day. Chapter after chapter, Kabul depicts American government at its worst and “ordinary” Americans at their best.
 
Ultimately, this book explains how Biden’s Afghanistan retreat spurred a dangerous new era that persist for decades. While Americans watched the fall of Afghanistan with disbelief, our nation’s enemies were also paying close attention.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Military History, War, Military Fiction, Audiobook

368 pages, Paperback

Published August 13, 2024

Reviews

[JD · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read is shocking in how politicians can mess things up and take no accountability for the chaos they created, and the worst is, it will happen again and again and again. The author takes an in depth look into the decisions and events that led up to the ill-fated American withdrawal from Afghanistan and its aftermath, some of which is still on going. The 13 servicemen and women killed in the attack was the 3rd highest single incident loss of live suffered by the USA during the entire Afghan War, and it could have been avoided had the politicians not dropped the ball.

It is heart breaking to see the photos of the young service members who gave their lives at the end and read their stories, most of them were just kids on their first deployment and some were not even born on 9/11. Also shocking is the amount of US citizens and Afghan allies left behind at the end of the evacuation, and how these men, women and children still struggle to escape Taliban rule and find refuge, and how the Biden administration tried to cover over this. Highly recommended read.

[Dustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read this book, or listen to the audio version. Some of the best reviews I have ever read were from people who I didn’t necessarily agree with, but I just don’t understand how anyone tried to discredit this book. If it were not so sickening, it would be comical reading the reviews saying that this is one sided; I cannot help but wonder if the book was even read by quite a substantial number. At what point do we wake up and listen to those who were there vs. the BS that our bought and paid for media is shoveling us, and the answers to the softball questions they’re offering to those calling the shots when doing interviews? This book is gut wrenching. What happened during this disastrous pull out left us with THIRTEEN gold star families, and countless dead Afghanis, and allies.

The same people that sit and cast stones at former President Trump - and no I don’t agree with everything he did or said - about his tiff with one gold star family seem to be mute on this one. We basically have several versions of Baghdad Bob in almost every position of this administration. Nobody seems to have an answer (unless it’s an outright lie or twisting of the truth), everyone wants to defer, and everyone wants to provide the information at a later date vs. in a personal hearing, or in the form of a blacked out piece of paper where text should be.

If you think THIS is one sided, pick up another book from someone who was there on the ground. Start with “Saving Aziz” by Chad Robicheaux. Listen to Shawn Ryan or Jocko Willinck’s podcast and see if those they interview who were there, or who actually participated in the rescue, agree with this book or not.

The people who did what our administration should have done were veteran lead non-profits. It amazes me that there are those who can read multiple accounts of people on the ground and still choose not to believe it. One veteran organization led 500 to safety that were later booted from a tarmac by our government; most didn’t live. Why was this done? Because all that seemed to matter in D.C. was that they were feeling usurped by REAL heroes and REAL people that get things done. According to the book, veteran lead organizations had to stop with some of their privately funded rescues because our current administration threatened them with prosecution for providing material support to terrorists because it violated the law potentially; our own government even took credit from them on one and blew the location of a safe house wide open.

While we’re on the subject of helping terrorists, does anyone know if the smuggler with ties to ISIS that helped migrants enter the US from Mexico, raising alarm bells across government. According to an article written on September 14, 2023, as of July, 160 migrants whose identities match those on the Terrorist Screening Dataset had been apprehended by Customs and Border Protection trying to cross the U.S.- Mexico border during fiscal year 2023, compared to 100 in fiscal year 2022. Fiscal years end on Sept. 30. Anyone know how many got across? These people all have blood on their hands. I don’t know how they sleep at night. I am very curious for those who consider this one-sided who they would like to hear from. Nothing like hearing how after 13 were KIA our men and women in uniform who were still alive had to pick up the trash and clean up human waste after 120,000 people before handing over the airport to the Taliban. Were the 13 Gold Star families presented in the last chapter who discussed how disrespected and they felt because our President could not even mention their names one-sided and biased? Do those 13 stories not count? The news media claims to wonder why we can’t meet recruitment numbers… All I can say is thank God for the private sector, and our veterans who are still willing to try to get those left behind out of that hell hole.

[Cover Lover Book Review]

Kabul is a compelling, unapologetic, uncompromising, and fierce account of the Biden administration’s destructive withdrawal from Afghanistan. Investigative reporter Jerry Dunleavy, and former Army Captain and Bronze Star recipient James Hasson, deliver an all-out eye-opening exposé.

This book may seem ruthless to some, but it contains truths that need to be told. Living in a media world of “we’ll tell you what we want you to know and think” rather than reporting the facts is frustrating. This book removes the noise and filters, revealing the facts from those who lived them.

The final chapter, titled The Thirteen, holds testimonies from the family and friends of our men who died in Kabul. It provides a melancholic and poignant conclusion to the appalling tragedies.

First Line: Joseph R. Biden Jr., was first elected to the US Senate in 1972, the year Richard Nixon won his second term as president.
Genre: Military Policy
Author: Jerry Dunleavy, James Hasson
Page Count: 368

#CoverLoverBookReview received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions are 100% mine.

[Nishant · Rating 3 out of 5]

This books needs a renewal edition after the role that Bharat played in Geo Politics.

As I have said earlier the western authors view of Geo politics is so weirdly western that they discount what actually happens in the eastern side of the world.

All that they said about Biden may be true or false, but it is certainly the problems of the East are none of the concern for the west.

Their coming and going on the eastern part of the world and the havoc they create is none of their concern. But we on the eastern side of the world should feel for the poor decisions of US Govt.

They don't see anything wrong with the psuedo country they have benefitted till now called Pakistan and it's role in the debacle of US in Afghanistan. 2 paragraphs they have written on Pakistan in the whole book.

As for China who made it a threat to the globe? Your capitalist companies wanting cheap everything for the consumers of America so they can sit on huge profits.

I feel sorry for the soldiers especially who are lead to a no win no win situation everytime the US Govt takes any decision.

Three star for the no. of times they took Biden's name in this book. But as the say in the title Biden's Fiasco.

[Gregg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This received three stars because it is a good chronicle of events and it was well researched. It does not score higher because it is a biased hit-piece. A book can certainly take a position but it needs to treat a topic fairly to score high with me. Focusing on the Biden administration’s failings with regard to Afghanistan as a major contributor to Ukraine without acknowledging the former President’s impeachment for trying to withhold military aid to the Ukraine for personal favors is unfair, unbalanced, and biased. The same goes for the complete lack of analysis or viable alternative solutions to the withdrawal. Last, I would say that being unable to highlight any good strategic decisions made in the midst of an unanticipated and rapidly devolving situation highlights this hit job for what it is.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great well-written book. It clearly explains the reason that US withdrawal from Afghanistan became a rout and a debacle. It shows the blindness of the President to history and his need to force a nonsensical deadline. It also shows the issues related to allowing the State Department to administer a wartime effort.

I did not give this a 5-star rating as I found the book to be a bit too partisan. First, I don't like Biden much more than the author does, but a few of the mistakes cited by the author were a bit petty and out of place. Secondly, I do appreciate the length that the author went to in explaining the issues between the State Department and the military. But, having recently read The Secret Gate by Mitchell Zuckoff, I feel that he missed something.

Great book, but a bit one-sided.

[Britynn D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words for this book. Absolutely enraging how incompetent and careless the Biden Administration was in handling Afghanistan. Realizing the level of dishonesty of our media in how they covered this event is gross. The thousands of Americans and Afghan partners that were left behind is heartbreaking. This is such an informative book that highlights the need for being an informed and active citizen.

[Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t believe they made the marines police call the airport before turning it over to a literal terrorist group that we were at war with for 20 years. 10/10 read this book if you want to be mad and look at the incompetence of the U.S. government under a microscope.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting, boomer conservative take on Afghanistan. I admit to finding humor in their attacks targeting Biden, only because they came off as ridiculous. Some include:

- His belief America was not obligated to take Vietnamese refugees (Completely logical)

- Not wanting Americans killed to secure women's rights in Afghanistan (Empowered Afghan feminists should do this instead)

- Suggesting Biden was wrong to not liberalize the SIV program, which would have flooded America with even more refugees.

The real villains here end up being Pompeo and of course Khalizad, whose ethnic origins appear to have made him unreliable as a negotiator. Those 5,000 prisoners should never have seen the light of day, and been dealt with before signing any accord with the Taliban. Also, Douglas MacGregor and Johnny McEntee for pushing complete withdrawal over security concerns.

[Emmet Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blatantly slanted but if even if half of it is true, it raises a lot of questions that deserve to be answered.

[Carolyn Strength · Rating 5 out of 5]

PLEASE READ THIS BOOK!

I don't know what to say. During the evacuation I was glued to the television waiting for news of what was happening. I knew it was bad. Now I know just how bad it was. I am going to remember the names. I will not forget them. I won't forget those who caused this mess either. Please read this book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting perspective, all taken with a grain of salt due to author’s bias. Centered on American military and the impossible job they were given during the poorly planned pullout from Afghanistan. Overall, another tale of the hubris of a white man in power and those who suffer the effects.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a mess our upper chain of command does and did weave. If this book doesn't make you cringe regardless of your political leanings then you have no heart. A must read at least to learn how not to establish foreign policies.

[Brandon D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously this book is very one-sided but overall it is well researched and well written, covering a complex and confusing time in America’s military and political failure in Afghanistan. And although the disinformation coming from the highest levels of government make it even harder to fully understand the real story behind the story, the author does a fantastic job providing concrete evidence throughout this work to really highlight the ineptitude of our elected officials and their puppets inside the military’s command structure.

It is clear that the President of the United States is an elitist, who believes he is the smartest man in any room. What makes that even more scary and dangerous is that he has surrounded himself with an echo chamber of “advisers,” whose sole purpose is to steer the narrative in any way to support ill conceived objectives.

Ignoring numerous official reports on “reliable” afghan troop numbers and durability of the afghan government to stay on an artificial narrative… Completely unable to grasp the reality of the situation when enemy forces began steam rolling a nation we spent 20 years and countless billions to rebuild by flying back to vacation Camp david… these are just a few of the examples the author highlights that makes my blood boil…

Future will not be kind to those that are responsible for this fiasco. A fiasco that has massive global ramifications (many of which have yet to be fully realized or understood).

A great read that is super relevant as we enter yet another depressing election cycle.

[Jeannie Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible book that makes you increasingly infuriated at the government with each new chapter. Condemns those accountable, lifts up the servicemembers that were on the ground, sheds light on those saved, and acknowledges the many left behind by the US. Imagine being ordered to clean up an airport before handing it over to the Taliban. Unreal. Took some comfort after finishing the book in the knowledge that some of those we left behind after the final withdrawal did make it out and are safe on US soil.

[Jessica White · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was well written and a good read. The last 75-100 pages were a bit slower because that’s when it talked about China after the U.S left Afghanistan.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenally important read. I found myself with my jaw dropped at many points, and in reflection, feel so much anger. The innocent lives left behind between important Afghan allies and Americans alike illustrate the many monumental failures of the government. It didn’t have to be what it was. The last chapter broke my heart - I looked up each serviceman’s photo as I read through their obits/family contributions. They were just kids. And the reality of the men women and children who suffered trying to escape the violence. An immensely eye opening book.

[Dave Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book from the publishing company for review purposes and I must admit there are times where I wished I hadn't. It's not a negative for me to say that, it is just a hard story to read. I can't say I liked this book. It's not the kind of book you like. That being said, I will say it is an important book and while there were times where I found myself wishing I didn't know these things, I also have been in the world enough to know that ignorance only feels like bliss. The reality is these are things we need to know. The book is extremely well written, well researched and well thought out. It serves well as a tribute to the 13 young Americans who lost their lives trying to help and serve others in a terrible situation. Placed in what can only be described as a diplomatic and political debacle, they rose to the occasion and laid down their lives for others.

I will say, this book reinforced many beliefs I already had of our political situation and leaders, and in fact it shined more light on the situation. In truth, Hasson and Dunleavy did a lot of heavy lifting here and in this writer's opinion, they did the work our national media failed to do. It also showed the ramifications of some of what happened there at HKIA, and the potential fallout from situations with Russia and China that should not be overlooked. It showed the need for strong national leadership. Part of me wishes others perhaps from across the political aisle would read it, in hopes of changing their point of view, but in these polarized days I am not sure it would help. Truthfully, some of the situations these people, even the political leaders, faced were more or less no win situations and some of these helped me to focus. What do you do, when all the decisions have negative ramifications? To me this is far beyond disputes between nations. This is the battle beyond good and evil. Maybe it's my bias as a preacher, but, especially as I read the later chapters of the book, I could not help but relate some of the things that are happening to the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. We need to face these kinds of issues with prayer, knowing that even in seemingly no win situations, there is One who knows what to do.

I have to admit I was a little surprised by this book, most of the books that I get from this publishing company are Christian books. This one came from one of their more secular imprints, and as such some of the language was a bit off-color. I bring this up only so a reader might not be caught off-guard. The truth of the matter is every four letter word used in this book is part of a direct quotation, some from political leaders and others from people who were living out the axion that "war is hell."

I highly recommend this book. It's not pleasant, but it is a wake-up call.

[Sweetwilliam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like driving past a bad traffic accident. You swear you’re not going to look but when you get up to the accident you turn your head and look. In an instant you wish you hadn’t. The withdrawal from Afghanistan was worse than I thought. Over the 304 pages of this very readable book, the authors make the case that the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan caused the United States to lose standing in the world among allies and emboldened enemies.

In the first chapter, entitled “Wrong About Everything” the authors argue that Joe Biden has been on the wrong side of nearly ever foreign policy issue since Vietnam, and they provide plenty of examples. In Vietnam he argued for a swift withdrawal with “no obligation” for evacuating friendlies. During the Obama years, Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote that “not too many meetings happened in the Situation Room before the President started impatiently cutting Biden off.” There was one instance where Biden urged Obama “You’ve got to stand up to these guys [the US military] because if you don’t, they’re going to treat you like their puppy….” Obama cooly replied. “You know, Joe, it’d be fun to let you be President for just 5 minutes to see how you’d handle it.” The authors point out that Biden was even against the Bin Laden raid.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan was botched from start to finish. Yes, the Doha Agreement was negotiated by the Trump Administration but there were conditions, and the Taliban did not meet one. Biden said his hands were tied but he reversed every other Trump era policy or accord so why not this one?

The commanders in the field pleaded not to pull out during the fighting season. Biden was repeatedly warned as what was to come by top brass including Miller, Milley, McKenzie, and Krummrich. “Indeed, Biden did not receive a single military recommendation or intelligence assessment telling him that a full US withdrawal would be anything but a disaster.” There was little coordination with or consideration for our NATO allies. Military officials argued that we should hold onto the strategic Bagram Air Base with just a skeleton crew so that among other things, we could deliver airstrikes and provide for the contractors that keep the Afghanistan Airforce flying etc. All this fell on deaf ears.

Biden ignored all those warnings. Colonel Seth Krummrich, a twenty-two-year Green Beret who served as the chief of staff for Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT), during the withdrawal, told us that that military official had repeatedly warned Biden, “if you start a withdrawal, the Taliban are going to come pouring in and there is nothing that is going to stop them.” The President, who privately claimed that for years that he knew better than the Joint Chiefs of Staff despite decades of evidence to the contrary, had other ideas. “The President decided. ‘We’re going to leave,’” Krummich said. “And he’s not listening to anybody.”

Krummich felt that one of the 4-star generals such as Miller, McKenzie, or Milley should take a stand and resign over this:

Krummich explained “Hey man, there’s no fifth star…if you truly believe something than you need to stand up and do it. Nobody did.” He added that at least one of the Generals should have stood up to Biden and told him that if the United States makes a hasty withdrawal, “We’re going to leave Americans behind.”

The worst part was the scene at Hamid Karzai International Airport and the Abbot Gate. The gate was overwhelmed by Afghanis trying to escape the Taliban and a subsequent medieval torture and death. Even though the Biden Administration acted surprised, they were aware that Intelligence indicated that the Afghanis could hold out for 90 days and as little as 30 days. When members of the Afghani armed forces got wind of what was happening, they fled to the four corners of the earth, some with the US aircraft that was given to them. Many of the military aged men at Abbot gate where men that shamefully slipped out of their uniforms and became part of the mob trying to exit the country.

We did an awful job of evacuating allies such as interpreters and American citizens. The book contains harrowing anecdotes of these men and their families being hunted down by the Taliban. Somehow their identities and cell phone numbers fell into the hands of the Taliban. As these families where in hiding, they would receive calls from the Taliban to tell them of the medieval fate that awaits them upon discovery. Thankfully, veteran groups and private US citizens went back and led a last-ditch effort to extract some of these people and their families. Often, the State Department was a hindrance. In one case, they exposed a safe house while trying to take credit for an evacuation of an interpreter.

Lastly, the suicide bomber at the airport was an Isis-K fighter that was recently released from a prison at Bagram Airbase. It’s not clear to me, but when a member of the Taliban or Haqqani network puts on a suicide vest, they become Isis-K. This devil should have remained incarcerated. He was possibly identified and spotted by a Marine sniper who claims that he was denied permission to engage. The suicide bomber was able to kill 13 members of a Marine rifle company and their corpsmen along with about 200 Afghani civilians.

Later, in the United States, Biden would preside over a service for the families of the fallen servicemen. Family members would note that President Biden looked at his watch no less than 5 times during the ceremony. He spoke to the families and didn’t appear to know a single name of the fallen. Several times, he talked over a grieving family member to bring up the death of his son, Beau.

Chapter 13 contains an obituary of each of the 13 fallen members of the Marines of Ghost company and several anecdotes from family members. They were so young, and they had so much to live for. It was enough to make a grown man cry and I soon found myself crying my eyes out to see my Marine Corps brothers and sisters needlessly slaughtered so a President could possibly bump up his popularity rating by a couple of points back home.

Worse, the authors explained how this botched retrograde movement caused us to lose face in the world and emboldened our enemies. Putin was known to say” don’t worry about Biden. He’s the one that was against the Bin Ladin raid.” With Russia in the Ukraine, China poised to invade Tiawan, and the Middle east on the brink of all-out war, does anybody feel safe with a decrepit man suffering from a notable cognitive decline, in charge of the one superpower that could prevent World War III? In the words of Brack Obama, “don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to #$%& things up.”

God Bless the United States of America. God Bless the United States Military. God Bless the United States Marine Corps. Never forget LCpl David L. Espinoza, Sgt. Nicole Gee, SSgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, Cpl Hunter Lopez, LCpl Rylee J. McCollum, LCpl Dylan R. Merola, LCpl Kareem Nikoui, Cpl Deagan W. Page, Sgt Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Cpl Humberto A. Sanchez, LCpl Jared M. Schmitz, Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, and Army SSgt Ryan Christian Knauss. You met death well before your time. May you rest in peace.

[RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN · Rating 5 out of 5]

****************** RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: **B.A.T.S.** ******************
**************** (** BIDEN AND THE STOOGES!!! **) **********************

This tremendously detailed… raw… honest… true and factual… AND EXCRUCIATINGLY DOCUMENTED… TELL ALL… regarding perhaps the most disgusting… spineless… brainless… un-thought-out… betrayal of every American Veteran in history… along with every American who loves their country and what it stands for… and the authors… pull absolutely… no freaking punches… no matter how high… or low… the individual.. or organization… that was involved in any way… or means… in this abandonment of our veterans… our values… and the foreign people who put their lives and futures on the line by fighting and supporting America half-way around the world.

The method of our pullout… and betrayal… of all involved… or simply affected by… the disgraceful **RETREAT FROM AFGHANISTAN**… will never be able to be removed from America’s very soul… and conscience… no matter how hard you scrub… or lie!

I don’t care if you’re on the left of the aisle… right of the aisle… in the middle of the aisle… over the aisle… or under it… you will not be able to wholeheartedly deny... how Biden… and the brain dead chain of command including but not limited to… Austin… Milley, Blinken, Sullivan… and way too many Generals in the chain from the Pentagon on down.

Perhaps the most powerful intrinsic characteristic that this book makes absolutely clear… that is so deeply embedded in the very spot where G-d intended a soul to be in the individuals listed above… is the unabashed ability to LIE… AND LIE… AND LIE AGAIN… AND AGAIN… OVER AND OVER… NO MATTER HOW MUCH PROOF IS PRESENTED… THAT THEY WOULDN’T KNOW THE TRUTH IF IT WALKED UP TO THEM AND SHOOK THEIR HAND AND INTRODUCED ITSELF!

For you doubters… what I haven’t mentioned yet in this review thus far… is that the amount of pages for story telling in this book is 304 pages… the amount of pages for SOURCES AND NOTES is… 54 pages! Every major issue in the story telling has who’s saying it…. when… and where… and then unflinchingly… almost like when you’re watching a baseball game on TV… and they split the screen so you can see the pitcher winding up on one side of the screen… and the other side of the screen is the base runner leading off and getting ready to run. Time after time… after time … the authors are telling you exactly what is… or has happened in Afghanistan… and in the next paragraph… state completely… time… chapter and verse… of either Biden… Austin… Lilley… Blinken… Sullivan… or one of many Pentagon on down Generals… ABSOLUTELY… UNFLINCHINGLY… LIE… LIE… LIE!! It is absolutely nauseating… as an American citizen… let alone for A PROUD HONORABLY DISCHARGED UNITED STATES VETERAN LIKE ME!

Biden is documented about having absolutely no empathy or cares about our allies when we got out of Viet Nam… and has no empathy or feeling of responsibility for our Afghani allies. The on the record lying by **B.A.T.S.** which is documented expertly… is worse than when you catch your five-year-old child five times in one day with his hand ACTUALLY IN THE COOKIE JAR… AND YOUR CHILD LOOKS YOU IN THE EYE… AND SAYS… “THAT’S NOT MY HAND!”

First of all… “BIDEN DID NOT RECEIVE A SINGLE MILITARY RECOMMENDATION OR INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT TELLING HIM THAT A FULL U.S. WITHDRAWAL WOULD BE ANYTHING BUT A DISASTER.”

“IN SEPTEMBER 2021, MILLEY TESTIFIED THAT THE MILITARY HAD CREATED OPTIONS FOR KEEPING BAGRAM OPEN, BUT BIDEN HAD REJECTED THEM.”

Our NATO allies didn’t want to leave… but after America refused to stay they then left.

Biden and all of his **B.A.T.S.** including his press secretaries… refused to answer any detailed questions during the evacuation and abandonment… other than constantly touting the number of evacuees… what they refused of course to detail… was the deal they made with a mercenary-like group Afghan National Strike Unit (NSU) “1,300 fighters and 210 vehicles would immediately clear the crowds from the runways” (and protect them from the Taliban… who **B.A.T.S.** had arranged for security at the gate! (Reviewers’ note: that on top of everything else is perhaps the absolute stupidest thing I’ve ever heard in my life… and of course cost us innumerable lives!)

Part of the deal of NSU’s protection… was that we’d evacuate them and their families. “

“A CULTURAL DIFFERENCE HAD BEEN LOST IN TRANSLATION. TO AFGHANS, “IMMEDIATE FAMILY” MEANS NOT JUST SPOUSES AND CHILDREN BUT ALSO AUNTS, UNCLES, COUSINS, GRANDPARENTS, AND GRANDCHILDREN.” When it turned out that figure would hit 30,000 PEOPLE… “GENERAL SULLIVAN TOLD DEFENSE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATORS THAT THE RISK TO NOT GETTING THE NSU AND THEIR FAMILIES OUT WAS THAT THEY WOULD TURN ON US AS WE APPROACHED THE END OF THE EVACUATION. IN ALL, THE NSU AND ITS FAMILY MEMBERS ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN ONE-FOURTH OF THE 120,000 PEOPLE THAT THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION BRAGGED ABOUT EVACUATING!”

Just like in Viet Nam where “body counts” became a daily announcement to try to sway public sentiment… so did evacuation numbers in the Afghan debacle… and never once was it mentioned during the bragging by the press secretaries that 25% of the evacuees were strong armed mercenaries!

And talking about press secretaries… do you remember the infamous “BAGHDAD-BOB”… from the first Iraq war??? You can’t convince me that Pentagon Press secretary John Kirby… isn’t “BAGHAD-BOB”… with a new ID!

It’s almost too painful to discuss the sad… solemn… fate of our thirteen veterans who patriotically gave their life at Abbey Gate. Did you know we knew to be “LOOKING FOR AN AFGHAN MAN WITH A SHAVED HEAD AND CLOSE- CROPPED BEARD, DRESSED IN ALL BLACK. THEY WERE ALSO TOLD THAT IT WAS HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THE SUSPECT WOULD BE CARRYING A BACKPACK WITH THREE YELLOW ARROWS STITCHED ON THE EXTERIOR. SEVERAL OTHER MARINES CONFIRMED THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN THE SAME THREAT DESCRIPTION.” The bomber was identified and we asked for permission to shoot and were denied…

From there the reaction and treatment by Biden and his administration has been atrocious… despicable… and contemptible… from the cause… to the caskets… to the cover-ups… and treatment of the poor loving families.

There is so much more… including in the aftermath our weakening on the world stage… weakening in even being able to staff our military in the numbers we need. As America is designed to be a free society… I’m sure many people reading this review… want to doubt the viability of what is shared here. I recommend you read this TOTALLY-DOCUMENTED-BOOK!

And as a Proud- United- States- Veteran… I am deeply worried about the strength and future of our once great country… and I share my prayers on a nightly basis for the thirteen brave red-white-and-blue-souls… who were called to heaven way too soon!

[Jessica Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very eye opening and a must read for everyone. It doesn’t matter your political beliefs. Everyone should know what happened in Kabul and why 13 Americans died

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lack of action by the administration was very upsetting if not intentional. Had we learned nothing from the pullout from Viet Nam? A frustrating read.

[Curtis Edmonds · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hon. Dean Phillips
United States Congress
St. Paul, Minnesota

Dear Rep. Phillips,

You don't know me and I don't know you and there is only the tiniest chance I would ever get to vote for you. And it's very weird for me to say that I have a book recommendation for you, but I do, and you should listen although I think the odds are that you're going to ignore me, and be worse off for it.

I just finished KABUL, which is about every single idiotic thing that happened with regard to our shameful pullout of Afghanistan. “I am sick and tired of disaster and the fools that bring disaster upon us,” one New York private wrote about poor generalship in the Civil War, and that could be the epigram for this book. It is a chronicle of hideous decision after hideous decision after hideous decision, made for the stupidest possible reasons, by people who couldn't be trusted to lead a first-grader to the potty.

It is literally an enraging book, the kind of book designed to raise your blood pressure, the kind of book made to fling across the room in disgust. You know the old joke about when you play country music backwards, your wife comes back and your truck gets fixed? You want to read this book backwards, to unwork time. to go back to when we had people who knew what they were doing in charge of things.

There are going to be people who vote for Joe Biden out of pure dumb reflex, who have not thought about a single political issue since their birth (you don't have to if you're a Democrat, it's perfectly optional). You can't do anything about that. And since the Clinton Administration, Democrats have learned that you don't have to feel shame, either, if you don't want to. But that's mostly at the higher level. I have to think, because I love this country, that there are Democrats who understand that the Afghanistan pullout was a disaster, and that all the same people who orchestrated that disaster are asking for four more years.

You are running for President on the solid and unimpeachable grounds that Joe Biden is too old to be President. You're not wrong. But I don't think that's enough. People who are going to want to vote for Joe Biden are going to say something like, "Well, okay, he's old, but he's like a figurehead, you know, there are competent people running the White House, the country will be fine."

My advice--not that you're going to listen to it--is to read this book, and shove it down Joe Biden's lying throat every time you get a chance. Tell the people. "The issue is not that Joe Biden is old, although he is old. The issue is not that Joe Biden is incompetent, although he is startlingly, staggeringly incompetent. The issue is not that Joe Biden hired Lloyd Austin and Anthony Blinken, who themselves are every bit as incompetent as he is, and that they made inexcusably stupid decisions, although they are and they did. The issue is that nothing happened to any of these people as a result of their idiocy, and they are asking for four more years to continue their reign of error. America deserves better."

But you're not going to do that, and you're going to lose. Good try, though.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Untold Story of Biden’s Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End by Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson – 4 Stars

Kabul is an explosive, heartbreaking, and enraging deep dive into one of America's most disgraceful moments—the chaotic 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan. Drawing from hundreds of hours of interviews with service members, intelligence officials, and abandoned Afghan allies, Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson craft a meticulous, well-structured account of the horror that unfolded.

The book lays bare the tragedy at the Kabul airport—desperate Afghans falling from planes, trampling deaths, American civilians stranded—and does not shy away from placing blame where it's due. Although the evacuation began under the Trump administration's Doha Agreement, the authors argue persuasively that Biden ignored its conditions, reversed every other Trump policy he disliked, yet claimed his hands were tied here.

The early chapters do a fantastic job highlighting Biden’s poor foreign policy instincts dating back to Vietnam. Dunleavy and Hasson also confront the abysmal decision-making of the State Department, the lack of coordination with NATO allies, and the disastrous abandonment of the strategic Bagram Air Base. Particularly enraging was learning that Marines were ordered to clean literal faeces off the airport before turning it over to the Taliban—a terrorist group we had been fighting for twenty years.

This book doesn't just condemn the political class; it honours the extraordinary bravery of the service members on the ground. It portrays the gut-wrenching disconnect between those risking their lives and the incompetent bureaucrats safely thousands of miles away. It also offers important commentary on how the botched withdrawal emboldened U.S. adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran, and strained NATO relations.

The writing is clear, concise, and free of excessive jargon, making even complex topics accessible. The structure—fifteen tightly organised chapters—elicits strong emotional responses without feeling manipulative. While there is certainly a right-leaning perspective, the authors don't let Trump's administration off the hook entirely either, which I appreciated.

I came to Kabul after a deep dive into America's Middle Eastern entanglements, hoping for a detailed personal memoir of the evacuation. While this book is not a memoir, it comes close in capturing the harrowing first-person experiences of those abandoned and betrayed. I only wish the authors had spent a little more time exploring alternative strategies: what an orderly withdrawal could or should have looked like.

In short: Kabul is a brutally honest, painstakingly documented, and passionately written account of a tragedy that should never have happened—and whose ramifications will haunt U.S. foreign policy for decades to come. It is absolutely worth reading if you want to understand the true cost of incompetence at the highest levels.

[Peter Corrigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid 4-star effort, dinged one off for no index and an overlong chapter on the supposed geopolitical ramifications of the Afghan debacle which I found questionable or at least a reach. Other than that, this is a valuable and very readable account into one of the worst 'moments' in recent U.S. history. Of course it was all but ignored by the Biden White House, which you might expect out of any administration. But worse was our co-opted 4th Estate (the bought and paid for corporate media) which failed in any meaningful way to bring any real light and deserved heat on the authors of this tragedy. Sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible! It might help 'you know who'! I had to laugh at the reviews that called this book 'biased'. If reporting the facts (and the book is scrupulously footnoted) is 'bias' then we have a bigger problem. This occurred on Biden-Harris watch and the number of ways in which the entire episode was mismanaged, botched and screwed up is laid out page after page. Yet not a single military leader lost their job over what can only be described as a monumental cluster-f--. In many previous American wars generals and other officers were sacked routinely for failure to perform. At the very least Mark Milley deserved firing along with the general who ordered the Marines/Army to clean up the civilian mess after the bombing, that was an outrage.

Although the State Department was nominally 'in charge' of the evacuation their officials and Anthony Blinken come off as utterly incompetent or worse. At times they were far more worried about following Covid protocols than getting the job done! You can hardly make this stuff up. We live in an age when the consequences of failure are simply non-existent, in fact they probably all got commendations. Kudos to the authors for their effort in bringing to light the heroism of the ordinary U.S. soldiers who were the eventual victims along with hundreds of Afghans. Here at least we did hear their names and something of their lives. In addition, the name of actual bomber who Biden has never bothered to identify and a media was incurious about is revealed. He was in custody but freed by our new ally, the Taliban. And he was almost certainly identified in the crowd but higher-ups (unidentified of course) denied field requests to engage. Perhaps most amazingly, despite Biden's promise that we would 'not give another cent to the Taliban if they introduce Sharia law' (which they did), we were the world's largest donor ($1.1 billion) in 2022 and presumably since. This comes from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). Yes, the subtitle 'Biden's Fiasco' is well-earned.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

KABUL is an extensively researched political science book authored by Jerry Dunleavy and James Hasson. Jerry Dunleavy is an accomplished investigative journalist with a specialization in areas such as the Justice Department, the courts, the intelligence community, and national security affairs. James Hasson, on the other hand, is a seasoned former Army captain, U.S. Army Ranger School graduate, and Afghanistan veteran who has been honored with a Bronze Star. The book delves into the events surrounding Biden’s significant missteps and highlights the extraordinary dedication and bravery displayed by American soldiers until the very end.

The book is meticulously structured into fifteen chapters, each of which elicits profound emotional responses. Readers are advised to brace themselves for thought-provoking details as well as profoundly uplifting narratives.

“KABUL proved to be an exceptionally challenging book that I recently encountered. This engrossing narrative holds immense importance and must be shared with others. I wholeheartedly bestow a rating of 5 out of 5 stars upon KABUL. As such, I highly recommend this thought-provoking masterpiece to individuals with an interest in the realm of political science.”

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher. This in no way affects my review. All thoughts are my own.

[Randall A · Rating 1 out of 5]

The reporting done is the book is very biased. They spend whole chapters supposedly painting a picture of Biden as immoral and a horrible leader on foreign and military affairs. Yet the briefly mention and then gloss over Trump's role in setting up the Bagram pullout fiasco. It was Trump who negotiated the peace agreement in 2020 with the Taliban that did not include the Afghani govt. and allowed 5,000 experienced Taliban fighters to be freed from jail. Trump also determined the pullout time, at first wanting to do it before his term ended, but then TACOing when his advisors warned him not to. Trump slow walked all the visas for Afghani interpreters and allies, so that few got their visas before the August 2021 pullout. In sum, Trump left a FUBAR for Biden. Yet these authors place all the blame on Biden. It is not worth anything, except as a case study of misleading military propaganda.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kabul, The Untold Story of Biden's Fiasco and the American Warriors Who Fought to the End was a difficult book to finish. Listening to the audiobook was a discombobulated experience of getting frustrated, saying something like "You've got to be kidding," pausing, and then continuing in disgust. Biden, the State Department, and our Joint Chiefs may not have conspired to create such a disaster. More likely, a grand unification of ineptitude, arrogance, and conflicting objectives led to the worst foreign policy debacle in my lifetime. If you can get through this book and still support the current regime, you have an uncanny ability to manage cognitive dissonance. What they did was criminal negligence at best.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read book. Biden does need to be held accountable for how he withdrew from Afghanistan. He allowed Taliban to board the US Military plane to come to America. He had the USA abandon the Bagram Air force base. When Trump was in office he had USA keep the base because it is 1 hour away from Chinas nuclear project. And it is the only base in the WORLD that is between Russia, Iran and China. China has wanted to occupy this base because they want to take the Natural Minerals from Afghanistan. Since Biden is compromised and paid off by China, Biden surrendered the Base to China. Biden ignored the intel he was given and 13 soldiers have died because of Biden's poor decision.

Americans need to be outraged on what Biden is doing to America.

[Michael Jolls · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some books that are difficult reading on account of the writing style, the translation, time period, etc. “Kabul” is painful to get through on account of how graphic and depressing the events of August 2021 were. The book does a detailed dive into the various meetings and opinions that formulated the withdrawal plan, followed by horrific details about the sequence of events, and finally a retrospective of how it influenced Russian, Ukraine, NATO and China. Now, the book has a bad habit of recounting events out of order (paragraph to paragraph), which disrupts the linear narrative, however "Kabul" is full of information and reemphasis that you do come away comprehending a more nuanced assessment of the conclusion of the Afghanistan War.