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elliot ackerman

Authoritarian alliances & the future of the free world
GZERO World Clips

Authoritarian alliances & the future of the free world

Elliot Ackerman's new book about the US exit from Afghanistan is called The Fifth Act. But what comes next for America in the region? On GZERO World, the former US marine and CIA officer tells Ian Bremmer that the next big challenge will be how free nations of the world respond to the rise of authoritarian regimes.

A US military vet reckons with America's failures in Afghanistan
GZERO World Clips

A US military vet reckons with America's failures in Afghanistan

On Aug. 15, 2021, the Taliban swept back to power in Afghanistan, after the US departed following two decades of war. Ian Bremmer speaks to former Marine and author Elliot Ackerman on GZERO World.

The volunteer US military & America's shame post-Afghanistan
GZERO World Clips

The volunteer US military & America's shame post-Afghanistan

For Elliot Ackerman, leaving no man behind was part of his code of honor when he was first a US marine and later a CIA officer. But the US military principle was not followed when American troops departed Afghanistan a year ago. "There was no process to get our allies out," he tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.

US Afghanistan withdrawal: a “digital Dunkirk”
GZERO World Clips

US Afghanistan withdrawal: a “digital Dunkirk”

Could the US have done a better job at getting out of Afghanistan? Certainly, says former US marine and CIA officer Elliot Ackerman, who recalls how calls for an evacuation plan fell on deaf ears in the Pentagon and the White House. The problem, he tells Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, is that America thought it'd have a bit of time before the Taliban took over. That was the wrong call.

NATO's darkest chapter: Afghanistan withdrawal (in contrast to unity supporting Ukraine)
GZERO World Clips

NATO's darkest chapter: Afghanistan withdrawal (in contrast to unity supporting Ukraine)

Why did US intelligence get it so wrong in Afghanistan and so right in Ukraine? The intelligence may have been there - but after 20 years of war, the ability to draw objective conclusions was not, says Elliot Ackerman, a former US marine who served four tours in Afghanistan.

The fallout from US Afghanistan withdrawal: a Marine's perspective
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

The fallout from US Afghanistan withdrawal: a Marine's perspective

Almost one year ago, US forces departed Afghanistan after two decades of war. Their enemy was the Taliban, who didn't wait for all American soldiers to leave before taking over the country. One year later, Afghanistan is in shambles. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer speaks to former US marine and CIA officer Elliot Ackerman, whose new book "The Fifth Act," details the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan.

logo: GZERO World with Ian Bremmer (the podcast), overlaid on an image of US military in Afghanistan
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast

Podcast: How the US underestimated the Taliban - and who's paying for it one year later

Listen: The anniversary of the end of America’s war in Afghanistan is a reminder of what many see as a staggering US defeat. It was also a victory for a long-time US adversary, the Taliban, who remain in control as the country faces a humanitarian crisis and a crumbling economy. Their brutal rule has also led to worsening conditions for women and girls in the country. Ian Bremmer speaks to former Marine and author Elliot Ackerman on the GZERO World podcast about his view of the war and his new book “The Fifth Act: America's End in Afghanistan.”