For the first time since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, top military officials testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee and answered questions from its members, including Senator Roger Wicker.
During the morning session, Senator Wicker questioned Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III & Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley on the impact that problematic withdrawal has had on America’s credibility around the world. Wicker specifically highlighted what he believes to be broken promises by the Biden Administration and erroneous predictions regarding the speed at which the Taliban took control of the country.
Later in the hearing, Wicker, speaking with Commander Kenneth McKenzie, turned his focus to the capability of the Afghan military without U.S. support as well as U.S. plans to redeploy to Afghanistan, and “President Biden’s decision to ignore conditions set by the Trump Administration for a U.S. withdrawal.”
During the hearing, both General McKenzie and General Miller did state their belief that the U.S. should’ve maintained a 2,500 troop presence in Afghanistan.
