Discover video-sourced quotes by politicians

Tulsi Gabbard: “There was no clear objective [in the Afghanistan war].”

Featuring: Tulsi Gabbard, Republican | Director of National Intelligence

Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War

Published January 10, 2023 | Video Starts at 57:14

To my knowledge, as we were waging war in Afghanistan for over 20 years, I think most people had no concept of how much money we. How much of our taxpayer dollars were going towards this war of which There was no clear objective [in the Afghanistan war]. Even guys who were, you know, lower enlisted guys in the military who were deploying there not once, not twice, but three, four, five, six, seven times, each time coming back saying, what is this for? (57:14–57:24)

CLAIM

Asserts that the Afghanistan war lacked a clear objective.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

Discover more from

Tulsi Gabbard

“One of the main reasons that I ran was because I saw the writing on the wall about the dangers of entering into a new Cold war where that…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 05:31-05:49
“Diplomatic talks between the United States and Russia and the US and China are basically nonexistent at this point.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 29:03-29:11
“These sanctions are never lifted once they are put in place.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:00:55-1:01:00
“There is always a blank check coming from Congress [for] spending our American taxpayer dollars to wage new wars, a new cold war, a nuclear…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 00:57-01:02
“They tell people back here at home, people who are struggling for clean water or for safe communities or securing our borders, just saying…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 01:07-01:18
“You never hear them actually talk about and tell the American people what is the cost of war in the form of cost in human lives, the form of…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 01:17-01:35
“The United States [is] interfering in other people's elections.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 05:05-50:52
“We look to where we are today with this proxy war with Russia and people really across the spectrum saying, yeah, we are at a greater risk…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 06:03-06:15
“There seem to be more Republicans now willing to take that position and say, hey, yeah, let's have a realistic view, let's exercise…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 10:06-10:18
“Voices that we would expect from the Democratic Party to be those voices for peace, to be those voices for diplomacy, as we've seen very…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 10:30-10:43
“When this group of the so called Progressive Caucus stood up and said, hey, President Biden, pursue diplomacy to bring about an end to the…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 10:42-11:02
“Regime change wars are waged under this guise of good heartedness and humanitarianism.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 15:27-15:34
“Things so often end up far worse for the people in these countries than they were before.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 15:33-15:46
“They're lying to the American people when they're saying like, oh, we got to go save these people from this evil, evil person.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 16:26-16:33
“The United States also has a very active role in choosing who replaces [leaders they deem unacceptable].”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 20:21-20:26
“There's a pretty heavy hand of the US Government to pick or tilt the scales...on who those people are.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 20:31-20:39
“We have [sanctions] in place in far more places than people realize.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 23:26-1:00:55
“Interventionist foreign policy works against our country's interests and national security interests.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 24:03-24:07
“Hillary Clinton and others advocating for a world's police policy have undermined our national security interests.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 24:35-24:54
“The prevailing foreign policy establishment in Washington sees competition as a zero sum outcome.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 32:03-32:21
“Sanctions have a negative effect both directly and indirectly on the civilians in these countries that are being sanctioned.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 36:33-36:47
“These massive sanctions regimes that are intended to try to make, you know, these leaders and oligarchs and people in Russia suffer. Well…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 36:37-36:53
“I still serve in the army reserves almost 20 years.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 40:46-40:50
“The foreign policy establishment that's been in charge for so long has done a great disservice to this country.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 41:04-41:11
“The nation building mission that our military has been used for for so long has been proven to be a failure.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 46:15-46:22
“Oftentimes the only lines of communication where diplomacy can actually happen are the relationships between military leaders from the…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 46:57-47:09
“The diplomats in charge of the State Department are too often the ones who are egging on and encouraging waging of war, whether it be…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 49:23-49:37
“There is more done to manipulate voters and limit their access to fair information so they can draw their own conclusions by our corporate…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 50:13-50:26
“The politicians and the foreign policy establishment in Washington is disconnected from the sentiment of the American people, who largely…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 54:58-55:16
“Most people had no concept of how much of our taxpayer dollars were going towards this war.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 56:39-56:50
“We were waging war in Afghanistan for over 20 years.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 56:40-56:45
“The Cost of War project at Brown has done a great job in really looking at what that cost has been.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 57:28-57:39
“I introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization act as well as a separate standalone bill that very simply required an…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:00:37-1:00:50
“My legislation just said we need to get periodic reports to Congress on what the consequences of these sanctions are.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:00:59-1:01:10
“I was surprised that I was able to get this legislation passed in the defense bill through the House.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:01:25-1:01:32
“Somehow it got stripped out in the dark of night with no explanation whatsoever before the final bill came forward.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:01:34-1:01:43
“The dual use clause really ends up impacting [civilians].”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:05:27-1:05:36
“We have these politicians completely focused on how do we cause great harm to others.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:06:33-1:06:40
“We see how [sanctions have] a direct negative effect on the American people themselves.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:06:41-1:06:46
“We cannot achieve prosperity and uphold freedom without peace.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:11:20-1:11:26
“We should be developing relationships with other countries to find those areas of mutual interest to increase mutual prosperity.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:11:25-1:11:36
“Most Americans are sick and tired of these constant regime change, wars, these constant interventions.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:14:06-1:14:12
“The spending of trillions of our taxpayer dollars on wars that actually undermine our national security.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:14:11-1:14:19
“Trillions of our taxpayer dollars [are] sent overseas.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:14:13-1:17:37
“We shouldn't be the policeman of the world.”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:17:58-1:18:01
“We have the opportunity as a country to exercise real leadership by demonstrating how we can find those areas of mutual interest and mutual…”
Tulsi Gabbard and Stephen Kinzer Discuss U.S. Foreign Policy and the Cost of War | Uploaded January 10, 2023 | 1:18:22-1:18:28