Retired U.S. General Frank McKenzie has attributed the delay in withdrawing troops from Afghanistan to what he perceives as “American arrogance.”
During an interview with Fox News, General Frank McKenzie, the head of United States Central Command during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, expressed regret over the U.S. decision to remain in Afghanistan until the very end. He highlighted that this choice had sometimes led and did lead the country into an “extremist situation.”
“I think it is a case of American exceptionalism or American arrogance, depending on your perspective, to believe that you can actually withdraw, beaten from the field of battle, and still maintain a large political platform in the country you are retreating from,” McKenzie said.
“I go back to the basic decision to wait so very late to begin to bring people out — after we had already given away Bagram Airfield, after we had already drawn down to a shallow footprint in the country,” he continued. “I think those decisions led to the scenes at the airport in Kabul.”
A tragic blast at the Kabul airport during the evacuation resulted in the deaths of thirteen U.S. soldiers and at least 170 Afghan citizens. This incident marked the third deadliest event during the U.S.’s two-decade presence in Afghanistan.
General McKenzie expressed that he does not regret reaching a deal with the Taliban.
“And I feel had we not done so, our casualties would have been significantly higher,” he added.
