Staff Reports
Former U.S. Central Command leader Gen. Frank McKenzie took the stage on Tuesday to shoulder the blame for the devastating Afghanistan airport attack that claimed the lives of 13 brave U.S. servicemembers in 2021. Testifying in front of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, McKenzie declared himself the fall guy for the tragedy that unfolded at Abbey Gate. The former commander, pointing fingers at the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, insisted that he and he alone bore the brunt of military responsibility for the ghastly attack.
Former CENTCOM commander McKenzie accepts responsibility for Afghanistan airport attack https://t.co/JGOAYRTY39 https://t.co/JGOAYRTY39
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) March 20, 2024
During the hearing, retired Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also chimed in, pledging to unearth more answers for the Gold Star families mourning the loss of their loved ones. “We owe them answers,” Milley declared solemnly, expressing his unwavering commitment to unveil the truth behind the heartbreaking ambush.
House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul (R-TX), a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the military retreat, spearheaded the inquisition into the withdrawal. In his relentless pursuit of transparency, McCaul went to great lengths, even threatening to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress after his failure to produce subpoenaed documents pertaining to military communications during the withdrawal.
McKenzie, not one to pass up the opportunity to shift blame, sought to point the finger at the policies and circumstances surrounding the botched exit from Afghanistan. He fervently expressed his belief that culpability for the attack could be traced back to policy decisions that spiraled into the chaotic environment of August 2021 in Kabul. In a bid to exonerate himself, McKenzie emphasized the unpredictability of the battlefield and the success that the enemy occasionally reaps, despite meticulous planning and outstanding execution by astute personnel on the ground.
The Biden administration, in classic fashion, deflected responsibility by pawning off the debacle on former President Donald Trump, attributing the frenzied withdrawal to the precarious situation left behind by the previous administration. They vehemently refuted conservative allegations of mishandling the exit from the Middle Eastern country, placing the brunt of the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Trump administration.
