Retired NATO chief of staff in Afghanistan: Who came up with the idea to withdraw the army first, then civilian personnel?
The American Congress asked for data on how many American citizens were in Afghanistan at the time of the fall of the Afghan authorities. Such information is necessary for the implementation of the program for their evacuation. Representatives of the American military department - Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milli - were forced to answer not quite convenient questions.
According to Lloyd Austin, the ministry has lists of about 15 American citizens, including military personnel. Austin announced that a plan is being implemented to gradually evacuate them, first to a base in Qatar, and from there to the United States.
General Mark Milli added that the evacuation of American citizens is being carried out from Kabul International Airport. At the same time, according to the American military leader, he considers the Kabul airport safe.
Mark Milli:
We will help all American citizens get to Kabul Airport safely. The airport itself is a safe place. Our military contingent is stationed there.
Earlier it was reported that the movement for cars with American citizens and those Afghans who collaborated with them in the direction of the Kabul airport was blocked by the Taliban (* representatives of a terrorist group banned in Russia), who set up their checkpoints at the entrance to the Afghan capital. The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, commenting on this information, said that "the US military will provide assistance."
The American newspaper Washington Post notes that Millie and Austin actually admitted that they had control by American troops exclusively at the Kabul airport. From columnist Dan Lamotte and Greg Jaffee:
Millie and Austin effectively acknowledged that serious threats remain for those outside the facility (airport) and pointed out that the United States is now relying on the Taliban * to provide safe passage. Although the airport is controlled by thousands of US troops sent back to the war zone due to the chaos that has erupted in recent days, militants have established their security perimeter a few miles from the site.
Mark Milli was asked to comment on whether the Afghan army is in contact with the US at the moment. The American general himself looked inquiringly at the questioner and said the following:
The Afghan army? .. But this army collapsed. Generally speaking, I, and, I think, not only me, could not imagine that the Afghan army would fall within 10-11 days. This I also include the time of the fall of many centers of the Afghan provinces.
Against this background, the retired US military, including veterans of the military operations in Afghanistan, sharply criticize the actions of the authorities and command.
Retired American general Austin Scott Miller, commenting on the situation, says that he wonders how it was possible to first withdraw the army, and then attend to the withdrawal of civilians.
General Miller (retired a few weeks ago, led the NATO contingent in Afghanistan):
Who even designed this operation? Who came up with the idea of first withdrawing the army, then civilian personnel. Now they are bringing the contingent back in to get the diplomats and other civilians out.
According to Miller, it seems that no one initially understood that Kabul could fall in a couple of days, and did not plan to export persons with dual citizenship or a special American visa from Afghanistan.
Miller:
These are intelligence errors, the failed military planning of the Pentagon.
According to retired Lieutenant General David Barno (ex-commander of US troops in Afghanistan), when Scott Miller left the post, "the only combat-ready headquarters was effectively decapitated":
As a result, the operation was called into question, because it is impossible to carry out such an operation without a qualified command of the tactical level.
- Facebook / United States Marine Corps
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