When I left the intelligence community in 2013, I had seen enough to be certain that our future departure from Afghanistan would be a disaster. The only thing I questioned was how big that disaster would be.

But nothing could prepare me for the slew of horrible decisions and intelligence failures that saw the Taliban regain power on Aug. 15, 2021. That was five years ago, last Saturday. The strategic choices that followed over the ensuing weeks in Kabul made me wonder if our leaders had any desire to mitigate catastrophe.

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Yet, as Afghanistan descended into terrible chaos, ordinary Americans rose to the challenge. Volunteers coalesced in Signal groups, spending sleepless weeks helping allies maneuver to evacuation points around Hamid Karzai International Airport. I worked to sound alarm bells in the media for veterans who were trying to move their former interpreters to safety.

Tragedy then struck on Aug. 26, when an Islamic State group suicide bomber,........

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