'Just leave': Afghanistan withdrawal is no-brainer, but 'deep state' controls US foreign policy, says ex-Virginia lawmaker

26 Feb, 2020 07:25

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An honor guard carries the remains of a US Army soldier killed in Afghanistan ©  REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst 

A truce between US troops and the Taliban in Afghanistan could result in American forces finally exiting the country, but there are powerful interests that want the war to continue, former Virginia senator Richard Black told RT.

The week-long ceasefire agreement between the two foes appears to be holding, and could pave the way for further negotiations that could lead to a withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan – some 20 years after the US invasion in October 2001. But pulling out from the country is far easier than Washington makes it seem, Black, a retired state lawmaker and veteran, told RT America's Rick Sanchez.

They talk about how it's so difficult to get out [of Afghanistan]. The best way to get out is to leave. You just leave.

According to Black, Afghanistan serves as a prime example of how US foreign policy rarely changes, even when new administrations take the reins in Washington. The phenomenon is the result of powerful interests working behind the scenes, the retired lawmaker argued.

Look at Obama, he got the Nobel Prize and went on to be the bloodiest president since George Bush... There is a deep state and it actually controls what the presidents do.

He noted that despite the enormous blood and treasure spilled, there is little to show for the US invasion in Afghanistan and other countries that were selected for military 'interventions.'

"I don't think you can identify any particular thing that we've done where we can say 'this is a real achievement, this has really brought about a change for the better in some way,'" Black argued.

Watch the full interview below: