Retired US Generals To Testify In Congress Regarding Chaotic Afghanistan Withdrawal

Mark Milley, the previous Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with Kenneth McKenzie, the former CENTCOM commander, are set to testify before the US Congress about the tumultuous withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan.

The testimony is scheduled for this Tuesday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Numerous members of the US Congress, along with present and past officials of the US, have labelled the withdrawal from Afghanistan as chaotic and have voiced criticism towards the Biden administration's management of the exit strategy.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee, under Michael McCaul's leadership, is organising sessions aimed at scrutinising the Biden administration's execution of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. These sessions will allow for a direct query from representatives to the officials involved.

Mark Milley, who led as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2019 until September 2023, shared his disappointment during an ABC News interview last September regarding the conclusion of America's two-decade-long engagement in Afghanistan, emphasising that the outcome was not as he had hoped.

Kenneth McKenzie, who commanded the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) from March 2019 to April 2022, has expressed regret concerning the manner of the US' exit from Afghanistan, highlighting the potential threat of ISIS attacking US interests from Afghan territory. He further advocated for the continued presence of US forces in Afghanistan.

Earlier, on February 15, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US envoy to Afghanistan, provided his testimony in a Congressional hearing focused on the US's withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Doha Agreement, contributing to the comprehensive evaluation of the withdrawal's aftermath.