Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was a mistake: former US general admits

 General Frank McKenzie, who retired from the US Army on April 1, was on his way to negotiate with the Taliban when he was informed that Kabul had been captured.

It was August 15, 2021, and the then-commander of US Central Command witnessed weeks of unrest and chaos as the group took control of Afghanistan.

According to the American magazine Politico, General Frank McKenzie was going to Doha that day to offer a deal to the Taliban. The deal was intended to convince the Taliban to keep their forces out of the capital so the US could withdraw its troops and Afghan civilians from the city.

In the agreement, the Taliban were assured that they (the US military) would not fight them.

However, before McKenzie arrived in Doha, the Taliban took control of Kabul. The Taliban were already inside the presidential palace and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had left the country.

Thus, the Afghan government, which the US had worked so hard to maintain for 20 years, collapsed in a matter of hours.

McKenzie had to make a quick decision at this point, his mission of a mass evacuation from an active Kabul airfield unchanged. So they came up with a new offer and told Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, "Don't interfere with this withdrawal, we won't attack."

Retired General Frank McKenzie spoke to Politico magazine via video call a year after the Taliban took control of Kabul. He said that an agreement was reached in the meeting under which the US was allowed to take control of the airport. In this way, evacuation of more than 120 thousand people was possible in two weeks.

Was the withdrawal from Afghanistan a mistake? "Yes, but it was not my decision," he admitted.

"I think we should have stayed there," Frank McKenzie said. I believe that everything that happened happened because of that basic decision.

He said, "My suggestion was that we keep our small number of troops (in Afghanistan), where we can continue to cooperate with the Afghans." This proposal was not accepted.

When asked how much of the blame should go to the Biden administration, Frank McKenzie said, "I think both administrations wanted out of Afghanistan." This decision was to be taken by the two presidents. I suggested something different. But he had to make the decision.

Frank MacKenzie added, "Our intelligence tells us that the Taliban will likely give Al Qaeda a place to re-emerge." At the same time, they are unable to get rid of Daesh.