During testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday, retired Gen. Mark Milley acknowledged that he had no idea how many Americans were left behind in the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal of August 2021.
“I’ll be candid,” Milley said. “I don’t know the exact number of Americans that were left behind because the starting number was never clear. Same is true of at-risk Afghans … those numbers varied so widely that they were quite inaccurate, as best I could tell at the time. I would just say, I am not sure, even today, about the accuracy of all those numbers.”
General Mark Milley: ‘I’ll Be Candid, I Don’t Know the Exact Number of Americans that Were Left Behind’ in Afghanistan.
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) March 19, 2024
This is an international embarrassment. pic.twitter.com/vs6tSOeaoD
Upon questioning by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) about the fate of Afghan allies, Milley said some were killed in “brutal ways.”
“I think some were killed,” he replied. “I think some of the Afghans were tracked down that worked with us, and I think some of them were killed in — I’m pretty certain, some of them in pretty brutal ways. Some managed to escape through various means, others have just laid low and are keeping their heads down.”
Devastating. General Milley confirms that Afghan allies have been brutally murdered by the Taliban.
— Morgan Ortagus (@MorganOrtagus) March 19, 2024
“I think some of the Afghans were tracked down that worked with us and I think some of them were killed. I'm pretty certain some of them [were killed] in pretty brutal ways…” pic.twitter.com/SJeH0G0Wvu
While Milley and retired Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, former leader of US Central Command, have previously testified about the disastrous withdrawal, Tuesday’s hearing was the first time they answered questions from lawmakers since their retirements.
Milley told lawmakers President Biden disregarded his advice to keep hundreds of troops in the country.
“My personal analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal would likely lead to the general collapse of the Afghan security forces and the Afghan government, resulting in a large-scale civil war reminiscent of the 1990s or a complete Taliban takeover,” Milley said.
The haphazard evacuation culminated in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate on Aug. 26, 2021, resulting in the deaths of 13 US service members and at least 170 Afghans.
McKenzie said as “overall commander” he bears “full military responsibility for what happened.”