BY BILL JUNEAU
America's top military brass had plenty of explaining to do when it came to the humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan which left the blood-thirsty Taliban regime once again in control of that mountainous, central Asian country.
For two days of televised hearings, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Secretary-of-Defense and retired Army General, Lloyd Austin and Central Command's General Kenneth McKenzie were blistered with questions from U.S. Congressmen and Senators sitting as the House and Senate Armed Forces Committees. Overall, the three generals side-stepped responsibility, and generally laid the blame for the Afghan mess on President Biden. In addition, Milley was excoriated as a political enthusiast of the progressive Nancy Pelosi crowd.
A good many members on the committees holding oversight hearings, called for resignations from Milley and Austin for allowing the debacle. They both indicated that that was not going to happen since they serve at "the pleasure of the President."
Gen. Milley, 63, a four-star general whose uniform was laden with impressive service awards, did his best to portray himself as a non-political military leader, but it was a tough sell, and my guess is that based upon his demeanor and his comments to author Bob Woodward in his new book, "Peril," he didn't make his case.
Milley had been quoted in Woodward's latest political "tell all" as having told Speaker Pelosi that "I agree with you on everything." It was a telephone conversation which the two had following the mob violence on last Jan. 6 in the Capitol.
In the transcripted conversation with the general, Ms. Pelosi, who telephoned Milley, said "this is bad, but who knows what he (Trump) might do? He's crazy. You know he’s crazy. He’s been crazy for a long time."she ranted. "So don’t say you don’t know what his state of mind is.”
Madam Speaker,” General Milley replied, “I agree with you on everything.” Asked about this, Milley said that it had been mischaracterized. House Committee Chairman Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington, interrupted and hastened to defend Gen. Milley. Words can be misinterpreted, he observed. ".....we look at words and need not take them as accurate," he said. "Be aware that this was a partisan attack."
"If we didn't have a President (Biden) who is addled, you would be fired," asserted Matt Gaetz, a Florida representative. "You, Gen. Milley, should resign," said Missouri's Republican Senator Josh Hawley who added that he felt that Secretary Austin should also resign as he set the withdrawal pace which resulted in the deaths of 13 servicemen from a suicide bomb, and the stranding inside that troubled country of hundreds, maybe thousands of Americans who have been left behind and were now existing under the whims and the unpredictable thumb of Taliban terrorists.
Congressman Ronny Jackson of Texas, a retired navy admiral and a physician who served as a White House doctor in the Biden and Trump administrations, tore into Milley and said he should resign for his inability to do his job and protect the country. Instead of tending to military problems, "you were voicing your thoughts on critical race theory and understanding white rage, and how offended you are to have been labeled as 'woke,' " shouted Jackson.
Many of the committee members denounced Gen. Milley for telephone conversations he had with his Red Chinese counterpart, General Li Zuocheng in which he told that adversary that America had no intentions of attacking and starting a war with China---and that he (Gen. Milley) would call him if such plans were ever on the table. The exchange had been reported in the Woodward book.
Some representatives said that the conversations were grounds for Milley's immediate dismissal--and possibly his prosecution for sedition. Milley said that the conversation was being grossly misinterpreted and that he was "a-political" and would never be disloyal to the USA or to any President who is the commander-in-chief and has complete authority over all military forces.
Absent all planning and coordination, the United States pulled out of Afghanistan and failed to bring home all Americans and supporting Afghans. In 11 days, the Taliban reclaimed control of the country, and confiscated for their own use, an estimated $83 billion worth of USA property. Milley, Austin and Mackenzie all agreed and were on the same page that the 20-year-war and the reemerging of the Taliban constituted a "strategic failure," on the part of the USA.
Milley, Austin and Mackenzie were unified in explaining that they had recommended maintaining a force of 2,500 or somewhat more in Afghanistan following the drawdown so as to prevent a shotgun Taliban takeover.
It was their boss, President Biden, who overruled them and ignored their recommendations. The President is the commander in chief and his orders, whatever they are, will be implemented, they agreed.
In a publicized interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC television last August, President Biden was asked if anyone had recommended to him that 2,500 boots on the ground be kept in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of all Americans, and their supporters; and American soldiers and marines. "No. No one said that to me that I can recall." In other comments, Biden has characterized the drawdown as an "extraordinary success" adding that he has no regrets.
U.S. Senator John Barrrasso of Wyoming has said Biden's remarks qualify as the "lies of the 21st century, and that anyone believing him is delusional."
Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, an Air Force veteran, summed up the Afghanistan debacle and the sorry performance of the brass: "The whole thing makes me mad as hell."
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