Top former US generals say Afghanistan evacuation order came too late

The top two generals who oversaw the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 said Tuesday that the chaotic evacuation, which resulted in the deaths of over 100 Afghans and 13 US service members, was ordered too late.

Retired Generals Mark Milley and Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie blamed delayed decision-making by the State Department for the rushed and violent airlift out of Kabul’s airport as the Islamic Emirate took over the country.

“The fundamental mistake, fundamental flaw was the timing of the State Department’s call of the [noncombatant evacuation operation], I think that was too slow and too late,” said Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Stripes reported.

“There’s a lot of other mistakes that are made along the way … but I think that was key, I think that was fundamental.”

The former military leaders shared their assessments with the House Foreign Relations Committee as Republicans continued their scrutiny of the drawdown of U.S. forces at the end of a 20-year war in Afghanistan.

“I will not rest until I get to the bottom of this tragedy,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the committee chairman. “The American people deserve answers, and I intend to deliver.”

Milley and McKenzie offered testimony that largely echoed previous appearances they made before Congress while still in uniform.

They reiterated that they had opposed the full removal of U.S. troops but said the outcome of the withdrawal, which was marked by scenes of desperate Afghans clinging to departing planes, was ultimately the culmination of many decisions over many years of war, reported Stripes.

The US military recently completed an additional review of the bombing that took place outside the US military base in Kabul during the evacuation. The military interviewed troops who were not questioned during the original Abbey Gate investigation.

The military withdrawal was completed by July 12, 2021, according to McKenzie, while the State Department order to evacuate all American citizens, Afghan allies and others did not come until Aug. 14, 2021. The Afghan government’s senior leadership fled the country the next day.