A Top U.S. Military Officer Finally Admits He Was Wrong About Afghanistan

Our objective to win the hearts and minds of Afghans and nation building was a complete 20 year failure. We thought if we followed the COIN manual, we would win. Obviously it did not work. Winning hearts and minds is predicated on providing requisite security for the people, but that was an impossible task.

From the article:
"we should have pulled out our troops a decade ago, soon after Osama bin Laden was killed."

100% correct!

"On the show, he also gave credit to then–Vice President Joe Biden, who at the time opposed the troop surge and a switch to a nation-building strategy. Biden “had it right back then,” Mullen said, and “I give him credit for that.”