Nation

Gen. Milley and Gen. Austin blame the State Dept. for botched withdrawal

Published

2 years ago

September 29, 2021

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According to the senior Pentagon officials, the State Department is actually to blame for the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and Defense Secretary Gen. Austin Lloyd said as much to House Armed Services Committee Wednesday. It was their second day of hearings with the committee.

“We provide an input, as I said in my opening statement, to the State Department,” Austin said. But he admitted the Ghani administration warned that “if they withdrew American citizens and SIV applicants at a pace that was too fast, it would cause a collapse of the government that we were trying to prevent.”

“We certainly would have liked to see it go faster or sooner,” Austin said. “But, again, they had a number of things to think through as well.”

Then, Milley took credit for his effective withdrawal of the troops in July. “I just want to be clear – we’re talking about two different missions,” Milley said. “The retrograde of troops . . . that is complete by mid-July, and that was done, actually, without any significant incident. And that’s the handover of 11 bases, the bringing out of a lot of equipment . . . that was done under the command of Gen. Miller.” Gen. Austin Scott Miller was the top general in Afghanistan before he transferred his authorities to Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, of US Central Command.

“Noncombatant evacuation operation is different,” Milley said, referring all withdrawals in late July and August. “Noncombat operation – that was done under conditions of great volatility, great violence, great threat.”

Ultimately, the U.S. military airlifted over 120,000 noncombatants between July and August. Their last airlift was on August 30th.

You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism.

Featured

Historic House Vote Expels Rep. George Santos Amidst Scandal

Published

5 hours ago

December 1, 2023

Alexander Carter

In a turn of events, the House of Representatives made history on Friday with a vote to expel Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), marking the first such expulsion in over two decades. A moment fraught with gravity unfolded as Speaker Mike Johnson wielded his gavel to formalize Santos’ removal, setting a precedent in congressional annals.

Santos, indicted on 23 counts related to wire fraud, identity theft, and other charges, has not faced conviction but stands accused of misusing campaign funds for opulent purchases. The bipartisan vote, tallying 311 to 114, signaled robust support for expulsion, with a marginally higher number of Republicans opting to retain Santos.

Questions loomed as Speaker Johnson left the chamber, his silence leaving the fate of the ongoing government spending battle uncertain. According to reports from Fox News, Democratic Rep. Steny Hoyer emphasized the non-partisan nature of the decision, asserting that members concluded Santos had tarnished the House’s reputation and was unfit for representation.

Within the GOP, conflicting opinions emerged, with Rep. Darrell Issa arguing against expulsion, citing the presumption of innocence. The tight-lipped stance of the House Ethics Committee played a pivotal role in the deliberations.

Conversely, members of the New York Republican delegation, led by Rep. Marc Molinaro, asserted Santos’ commission of crimes, justifying expulsion based on a comprehensive investigation.

Santos himself predicted the outcome in an exclusive morning interview on “FOX & Friends.” This vote not only underlines the House’s rare use of expulsion powers but also sets a critical precedent in handling members facing severe legal challenges.