The top United States general in charge of military forces in Afghanistan up until July of this year says he opposed President Biden’s troop withdrawal plan and warned against intelligence suggesting the Afghan army could hold off the Taliban.
The Senate Armed Services Committee held a classified hearing with General Austin Miller on Tuesday afternoon.
Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich said that Miller, according to multiple sources at the hearing, “passed his recommendations through the chain of command.”
Those recommendations included the proposal “that the US should keep a level of troops on the ground … in order to maintain stability given the Taliban threat assessment.”
“Miller also said that he strongly dissented with the intel assessment that Afghanistan would fall to the Taliban between 1-3 years, saying he thought it would go much, much faster,” according to Heinrich.
He went on to state that “once his recommendation was turned down” he had to execute his orders regardless.
Miller also said that he strongly dissented with the intel assessment that Afghanistan would fall to the Taliban between 1-3 years, saying he thought it would go much, much faster.
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) September 15, 2021
Biden Was Getting Bad Intelligence on Afghanistan Troop Withdrawal
In addition to Miller’s insistence that Biden was getting bad intelligence regarding the Afghanistan troop withdrawal, Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin was informed that he repeatedly warned the President about the situation and advised as to his recommendation.
“[Griffin] is told [General] Miller had the ability to present his views to Biden on drawdown as well as his [recommendation] to keep troops in Afghanistan – several times before drawdown,” Heinrich tweeted.
“His assessments were included in Chairman of Joint Chiefs to NSC during the Afghan review before POTUS made his decision.”
Also – @JenGriffinFNC is told Gen Miller had the ability to present his views to Biden on drawdown as well as his rec to keep troops in Afghanistan — several times before drawdown. His assessments were included in Chairman of Joint Chiefs presentations …
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) September 15, 2021
The troop withdrawal plan eventually settled on by President Biden was an unmitigated disaster, resulting in a terror attack that claimed the lives of 13 United States service members, left hundreds of Americans stranded, and led to a drone strike by American forces that likely killed a seemingly innocent aid worker and his family.
Sen. @RandPaul: “The guy the Biden administration droned: was he an aid worker or an ISIS-K operative?”
Sec. Blinken: “I don’t know because we’re reviewing it.”
Sen. Paul: “You’d think you’d kind of know before you off somebody with a predator drone.” pic.twitter.com/kGWSuTySho
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 14, 2021
Biden Didn’t Listen
President Biden has repeatedly made the assertion that nobody could have predicted what was going to happen in Afghanistan.
“The intelligence community did not say, back in June or July, that in fact this was going to collapse like it did,” Biden told George Stephanopoulos in an interview that aired last month.
“Not even close,” he added.
Miller’s reported testimony would seem to indicate the President was lying, having been briefed that the Taliban would take control “much, much faster.”
He just lied at the pentagon presser : nobody could predict the fall as fast as it happened.
BS. Biden admin was warned months in advance. So sick of these liars.
— Kambree (@KamVTV) September 15, 2021
An NBC News report in July shows that Biden claimed “his military commanders had advised him to move swiftly” on the Afghanistan troop withdrawal.
Again, Miller’s comments seem to contradict him.
Miller stepped down from his position, having been the longest-serving US commander throughout America’s nearly two decades of military involvement in Afghanistan, in July.
CNN: Top US general in Afghanistan steps down as US military withdrawal from the country nears completion https://t.co/0kO8ti5H6P #Afghanistan
— Sandi Sidhu (@sandssidhu) July 12, 2021
Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) blasted the President saying his actions were not consistent with advice being given by his generals on the ground.
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“It is apparent that the decision that was made by the president was different than the advice given by his military commanders,” Blackburn said after hearing Miller’s testimony.
She would also note that the committee “learned of major inconsistencies between what the Biden administration has said publicly and the truth.”
This article was originally published by the Political Insider. Read the original article.
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