General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander. (Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 4:20 PM PT – Thursday, April 22, 2021
A top military official disagreed with Joe Biden’s assessments of the upcoming withdrawal from Afghanistan. On Thursday, Central Command Chief Gen. Frank McKenzie spoke in Congress and said the U.S. military would have to respond to possible attacks by the Taliban, despite the withdrawal.
The General added, the Pentagon would require more money to actually pull out U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
This came after Biden pushed back President Trump’s withdrawal deadline from May 1 to mid-September of 2021.
McKenzie also said the Afghan military may collapse after U.S. troops leave.
I also asked @CENTCOM Commander Gen. McKenzie if there are plans in place to protect the U.S. embassy and personnel in Afghanistan if U.S. troops withdraw as @POTUS has announced. I’m glad to hear this is a priority. pic.twitter.com/ock8XbeRo8
— Sen. Jim Inhofe (@JimInhofe) April 22, 2021
“It is a matter of very much great concern to me, and I think everyone, whether or not the future government of Afghanistan is going to be able to do that after we leave,” Gen. Frank McKenzie noted. “That will be determined here over the next few weeks as we begin our drawdown and we evaluate the security platforms.”
McKenzie went on to say, U.S. regional partners, such as Pakistan, have not been particularly helpful over the past 20 years as political tensions and Islamic terror continue to simmer.
