During a recent testimony in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, former U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie (Ret.) expressed concerns about the timing of the decision to authorize a non-combatant evacuation during the final days of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. McKenzie, who was in charge of all U.S. forces in Afghanistan in the war's closing stages, highlighted that the military had cautioned leaders and the Biden administration about potential risks associated with the pace of the withdrawal.
McKenzie emphasized that the State Department, responsible for coordinating the evacuation of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies, lagged behind the Defense Department in overseeing the withdrawal of troops and equipment. He warned that the faster military withdrawal could lead to security challenges and a swift Taliban takeover of the country, as the U.S. would no longer be able to provide adequate security for the evacuation.
President Biden initiated a non-combatant evacuation from Afghanistan on Aug. 14, which ultimately became the largest operation of its kind conducted by the U.S. military. Despite the success of the mission, it was not without consequences, notably a deadly suicide bombing near the airport gates on Aug. 26 that claimed the lives of 182 individuals, including 13 U.S. service members.
Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley (Ret.) echoed McKenzie's sentiments, stating that the decision to authorize the evacuation came too late. Both military leaders agreed that more could have been done to prevent the chaos in August, including the possibility of leaving behind a contingent of troops to facilitate a more diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
Reflecting on the situation, Milley expressed his belief that maintaining a troop presence could have prevented the collapse of the Afghan government and security forces in August 2021. While acknowledging potential risks to U.S. forces, Milley suggested that the benefits of such a strategy would have outweighed the dangers.
