'Hubris' and 'Mendacity': US Watchdog Unloads on US Efforts in Afghanistan 

Current and future attempts by the United States to use its military might abroad could very well meet the same fate as the country's nearly two-decade-long war in Afghanistan, a U.S. government watchdog warned, citing the repeated failure of top officials to learn from their mistakes. "That unfortunately is a problem not just w/#Afghanistan" per @SIGARHQ's Sopko "I think you find it in other countries where we've gone in""We have to be honest. We to be honest ourselves & we have to be honest w/the American people who pay for this..." Counterterrorism in the #Sahel-"The best approach, not only there but globally, is to work by, with& thru friends & allies in the region, small train, advise & assist missions..." per @thejointstaff's Gen Milley Says would recommend direct action if necessary

U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko unleashed the blunt assessment Thursday during a discussion with reporters, accusing wave after wave of top-ranking defense officials and diplomats of lying to themselves, as well as the American public. "We exaggerated, overexaggerated," Sopko said in response to a question from VOA. "Our generals did. Our ambassadors did. All of our officials did, to go to Congress and the American people about 'We're just turning the corner.' "We turned the corner so much, we did 360 degrees," he said. "We're like a top."