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US ‘obligated’ to hold senior officials accountable for chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal
DOD spokesman Sean Parnell says Pentagon ‘figuring out’ what the investigation ‘will look like’
US Department of Defense (DOD) spokesman Sean Parnell said the Trump administration has an “obligation” to hold senior officials involved in the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan accountable.
Addressing a press briefing on Monday, Parnell was asked whether the DOD would be firing or disciplining any remaining leadership directly involved in the withdrawal.
“We’re in the process of figuring out what that investigation will look like,” Parnell stated.
He said he had served in the military in Afghanistan and detailed how former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal had “horrified” him.
“I was horrified, in a lot of ways,” he said.
“You think about how much time, and blood and treasure and American life that was lost in Afghanistan over 20 years, you think about that for a second — I’m 43 years old, and this country was at war in Afghanistan for 20 years.”
“Almost half of my life, this country was at war in Afghanistan,” he said.
“We bled the ground red in Afghanistan,” he said. “I watched my men do extraordinary things in support of a grateful nation and in support of a mission there, and to watch Afghanistan be surrendered in the way that it was, [it] was extremely difficult.”
“Will those people be held accountable?” Parnell continued. “I think we have an obligation both to the American people and to the warfighters who fought in Afghanistan to hold the leadership accountable in some way.”
“Now, we don’t know what that looks like right now to hold the leadership of the Afghanistan withdrawal accountable,” he said.
“If you have a private that loses a sensitive item, that loses night-vision goggles, and loses a weapon, you can bet that private’s going to be held accountable. The same and equal standards must apply to senior military leaders.”
Former Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCOS) Gen. Mark Milley was involved in planning the withdrawal. His security clearance was revoked by US President Donald Trump in January.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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