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Former U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie (Ret.) argued that the decision to authorize a non-combatant evacuation during the final days of the U.S. war in Afghanistan came too late during testimony in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.
McKenzie, who was in command of all U.S. forces in Afghanistan in the war’s final days noted that the military had warned leaders and the Biden administration about any dangers related to the pace of the withdrawal, with the former general telling lawmakers that he had expressed such concerns to the State Department over a month before the chaotic evacuation of Kabul’s airport.
Of particular concern to McKenzie was that the State Department, which was responsible for coordinating the evacuation of U.S. citizens and some Afghan allies, was behind the pace of the Defense Department, which was overseeing the withdrawal of U.S. troops and equipment from the country.Â
Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley (Ret.)Â agreed with McKenzie, arguing that the decision to authorize the NEO came “too late,” despite the military’s best effort and eventual success in carrying out the order.
But the success of the mission didn’t come without a cost, most notably after an Aug. 26 suicide bombing near the gates of the airport claimed the lives of 182 people and injured over 200 more. Among the dead were 13 U.S. service members, becoming the last of the over 2,000 casualties during America’s longest war.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley speaks with reporters after a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Pentagon, Monday, May 23, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Both McKenzie and Milley agreed that more could have been done in an effort to prevent the chaos of August, including the possibility of leaving behind roughly 2,500 troops to help facilitate a more diplomatic end to the conflict.
Taliban take control of Hamid Karzai International Airport after the completion of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 31, 2021. (Wali Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“I believe that the Afghan government, the Afghan security forces, would not collapse in Aug. of ’21 had we maintained that posture,” Milley told lawmakers. “Those were high-end special forces capable of defending themselves and conducting operations as they had been for a while. And I think my assessment there was probably moderate to significant risk on U.S. forces. But is worth that risk.”
