Show Notes
Tom Tugendhat is a British Member of Parliament and former Security Minister who served multiple tours in Afghanistan in various civilian and military capacities.
In this exclusive interview, Tom speaks with unusual bluntness about the war’s outcome, rejecting euphemism and insisting that the West was decisively defeated. He argues that this was not the product of inevitability or fate, but of political choices, strategic incoherence, and a failure to take responsibility for loss. Alongside this analysis, he tells personal stories of people he served with and encountered in Afghanistan, explaining why he remains deeply fond of them and why their courage, loyalty, and sacrifice continue to matter to him. He also steps back to offer a broader strategic reading of the present moment, warning that Afghanistan reshaped how the world now judges Western resolve, credibility, and seriousness — with consequences that reach far beyond the country itself.
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More from Afghanistan with Roh Yakobi
In Part 2 of this exclusive interview with acclaimed journalist and author Jon Lee Anderson, we investigate one of the most consequential assassinations in Afghanistan’s modern history: the killing of Ahmad Shah Massoud, just two days before the attacks of September 11, 2001.
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