Former CIA counterterrorism officer: ‘The last few days feels like it’s all for nothing’

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The images from Afghanistan are surreal.

What’s playing out is terrifying and heartbreaking, but few understand it better than those who once had boots on the ground there.

“That’s the stuff we only see in action movies here in America,” said Brandon Blackburn, a former CIA counterterrorism officer.

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As a target officer, Blackburn identified terrorist networks and determined their vulnerabilities to prevent them from moving forward on their agenda toward the United States.

For nearly a decade, the Central Florida native worked throughout the Middle East and Southeast Asia, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan is the type of place in the world where you can get drawn in very deep. (And) once you’re drawn in, it’s very hard to get out, as we’re seeing today,” Blackburn said.

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The recent chaos came to be after Afghanistan’s president fled the country and the Taliban took control of the palace there.

U.S. President Joe Biden acknowledged that this unfolded more quickly than anticipated. He said that U.S. troops went to Afghanistan almost 20 years ago with clear goals: To get those who attacked us on 9/11 and make sure al Qaeda could not use Afghanistan as a base to attack the U.S. again.

Biden said as a nation, we accomplished that.

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Biden said that there was never a good time to withdraw U.S. forces, but Blackburn said “now is not the time do to that. This is prime fighting season in Afghanistan.”

The Taliban seized several cities and appear on the verge of a full military takeover.

“The last few days for many of us feels like it’s all for nothing,” Blackburn said.

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Blackburn agreed with some of Biden’s address but disagreed with other aspects.

“We’re the ones that have to look our counterparts in the eye and say, ‘We are here to help, and we’re not going anywhere,’” Blackburn said. “And that promise has been proven now with one act by this president to be completely empty and vapid.”

The president said 6,000 U.S. troops will soon be in the country’s capital to evacuate diplomats and civilians.