The End: Officially, America’s Military Is Out of Afghanistan
Photo by Staff Sgt. Kylee Gardner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby and CENTCOM Commander General Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr. announced the last US forces have left the airport in Kabul, ending America’s 20 year involvement in Afghanistan. Officially, American’s military is out of Afghanistan.
WaPo YouTube video (Starts at 45:00)
Updates from SkyNews on the events of the day:
Kabul airport is now without air traffic control – FAA
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a notice on Monday that Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul is now without air traffic control services as the US military completed its exit from Afghanistan.
Earlier this month, the US military said it had assumed air traffic control responsibilities in Kabul to facilitate the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan.
The FAA notice said Monday that aircraft landing at Kabul or operating in Afghanistan airspace should use “extreme caution.”
Every single US service personnel has left Afghanistan – McKenzie
Speaking following news that the final American flight has departed Kabul, General McKenzie confirmed that every single US service member has left Afghanistan.
The military chief also said no evacuees were left at the airport when the C-17 aircraft departed on Monday.
He said the Taliban established a “firm perimeter” around the airfield to allow for the final US military personnel to leave Kabul.
US efforts of coalition nations who aided in airlift
Speaking at a news briefing, General McKenzie singled out the work of Norway, who maintained a hospital at the airport and were “critical for the care of those wounded after the Abbey Gate attack”.
The US has evacuated 6,000 of its own citizens since 14 August, with General McKenzie saying this is the “vast majority” of those who wished to leave at this time.
He added that the numbers of nationals who have not been evacuated are in the “very low hundreds”.
The threat to the US military from ISIS-K was “very real” in Kabul, General McKenzie said.
In his address, he said there are an estimated 2,000 “hardcore” ISIS fighters in Afghanistan.
General McKenzie, the US Central Command Chief, added that the Taliban were “helpful and useful” to the US as the military closed down operations in Afghanistan.
US confirms completion of Afghanistan airlift
Speaking at a Pentagon news briefing, General Kenneth F. McKenzie said: “I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
The news marks the end of a 20-year campaign.
General McKenzie said the US ambassador to Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, was onboard the last C-17 flight out of Kabul.
He added: “The last C-17 lifted off on 30 August at 3.29pm (EDT) and the last manned aircraft is clearing the airspace above Afghanistan now.”
The final moments of the “largest non-combative evacuation in the US military history” came nearly 20 years after they entered Afghanistan in response to the September 11 2001 attacks on America.
In the last 24 hours, the US military evacuated about 1,200 people on 26 C-17 flights, while two coalition flights flew out 50 others.
The total cost of Afghanistan as misadventure was 2.313 trillion dollars: https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1432447508094013442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1432447508094013442%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdisqus.com%2Fembed%2Fcomments%2F%3Fbase%3Ddefaultf%3Dlawyersgunsmoneyblog-comt_i%3D11999820https3A2F2Fwww.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com2F3Fp3D119998t_u%3Dhttps3A2F2Fwww.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com2F20212F082Fthe-right-thing-2t_e%3DThe20right20thingt_d%3DThe20right20thing20-20Lawyers2C20Guns202620Moneyt_t%3DThe20right20things_o%3Ddescversion%3D53c39e0ce65e4eb0af505908f71410f5
Biden did the right thing by withdrawing. I do not think there was a mystical and better plan that could have made withdrawal better. The whole Afghani government was a house of cards built on a bed of sand and destined to collapse. Yet the Blob can never be wrong according to the Blob. How dare you question it ask the Blob.Report
The chart clearly states that it excludes “future cost of veterans care”, which will be significant. OBL won, we spent over 2 trillion to punish him and his rag tag group and we’re leaving Afghanistan no much different than when we went in. Some people got rich, many others have to deal with war trauma. That money could have been better spent.Report
“I do not think there was a mystical and better plan that could have made withdrawal better.”
I’ll push back here, slightly. I find it kind of hard to believe that they couldn’t have had a better exit strategy. Not a perfect one… not one that prevented the (re)rise of the Taliban or the emergence of ISIS-K or guaranteed zero loss of life. But it does seem like they could have started evacuations earlier and while we had a larger presence to facilitate that more effectively and efficiently.
Whether that is Biden’s error or his military leadership’s error is beyond my ability to assess. Ultimately, Biden is the top dog of the military but I couldn’t blame him for taking the advice of those below him.
If no one up and down the leadership foresaw what ultimately happened, that’s a pretty big indictment of the institution. But as my friend who served from 2005 until fairly recently always said, “Today’s leaders are fighting yesterday’s wars.” I suppose the question is whether Afghanistan was today’s wars, yesterday’s war, or what.Report
These sweeping statements always strike me as a defense against Biden more than a defense against what was done.
Are you saying Biden made a mistake? I say: No.
Personally, I think that the exit indicates a *HUGE* intelligence failure and am suspicious that the timeline operated under the assumption that Biden would cave instead of staying the course.
So by the time it came time to leave, the lies of the intelligence people hit the brick wall of reality at full speed and the military’s “wait, he was serious?” kicked in right around the same time and it became a perfect storm of screwed-uppedness.
BUT THIS ISN’T A CRITICISM OF BIDEN. BIDEN IS INNOCENT.Report
(Also look for “Biden didn’t make a mistake, Trump did” if you are suspicious if this is about Teams instead of whether we live in the timeline with the best of all possible evacuations.)Report
The Afghan government asked us not to because they (rightly) saw that as a public statement of loss of confidence. And Biden plused up the military presence prior to the pull out. Trump left him with 2500 and he ramped to 6000.
There’s plenty of reporting that the mid level career folks forsaw this and put it in their briefings to higher command. Higher command is responsible for the choices they made regarding which responses they gave weight to and which they didn’t.
Your friend is right. Many of us pointed this out at the beginning of the Afghan war. No one wanted to listen.Report
Re: point #1
In that case, a decision seems to have been made to prioritize the Afghan government’s wish.
Maybe things would have gone worse if we signaled that so early. But an early public statement of loss is probably better than losing and being/acting surprised by it.Report
Over/under on the first US air strike?Report
If drone strikes count, we’re already doing them.Report
Yes, drone strikes count. How many since the announcement that all US personnel were out of the country?Report
None have been announced since the announcement… using that as the cutoff, I’d probably say “by the end of the week” (and only because I stomped down the inclination to say “Wednesday”).Report
I shall put on my callous hat and make an estimate.
Cost of withdrawal. 13 American servicemembers killed in a suicide bombing by non-Taliban militants.
Assorted Afghan nationals killed vast numbers of Afghan nationals abandoned to the tender mercies of the Taliban.
Afghanistan: 50% odds it’d out of the media narrative by October 1st.
90% odds it’s a non-issue by the New Year.
Political impact: If he could have finagled escaping without losing any soldiers Biden may have gotten a mild lift. Now? Probably zero impact in the long run.
Historically? I think History will look kindly on Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.Report
Thanks be to God. Let’s keep it that way.Report
And only 20 years too late.Report