On Aug. 18, three days after the Taliban seized control of Kabul but eight days before 13 U.S. service members were killed by a suicide bomber, ABC’s George Stephanopolous asked President Joe Biden about what advice he received on leaving a residual force in Afghanistan.
“Your top military advisers warned against withdrawing on this timeline,” Stephanopoulos said. “They wanted you to keep about 2,500 troops.”
Biden replied, “No, they didn’t.”
“So no one told — your military advisers did not tell you, ‘No, we should just keep 2,500 troops? It’s been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that. We can continue to do that’?” Stephanopoulos asked.
Biden restated his answer, “No. No one said that to me that I can recall.”
Fast forward to yesterday’s Senate Armed Services Committee oversight hearing. Based on the testimony, it appears very clear that Biden’s statement was a lie.
Under questioning from Republican Sen. James Inhofe, U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie testified, “I won’t share my personal recommendation to the president, but I will give you my honest opinion. And my honest opinion and view shaped my recommendation. I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan.”
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton later followed up, asking Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, “It is your testimony that you recommended 2,500 troops, approximately, to stay in Afghanistan?”
Like McKenzie, Milley declined to say exactly what he told the president.
“Yes, my assessment was back in the fall of ’20, and it remains consistent throughout, that we should keep a steady state of 2,500, and it could bounce up to 3,500, in order to move toward a negotiated solution,” he said.
Pressed by Cotton if he shared that specific assessment with Biden, Milley again declined to share what he told the president, saying, “But I will tell you what my personal opinion was, and I am always candid.”
Cotton then turned to Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin and asked him if Biden’s statement to Stephanopolous that no military advisers advised him to leave a small troop presence was true.
Austin waited five long seconds before answering, “I believe that … Well first of all, I believe the president to be an honest and forthright man.”
Cotton stopped him and asked, “Did these officers’ recommendations get to the president personally?
Austin responded, “Their input was received by the president and considered by the president for sure.”
So there you have it — Biden lied, and 13 U.S. service members died soon after.
This issue is not in the rearview window. Al Qaeda is now empowered to use Afghanistan as a base to target the United States again. There are also still 2,500 troops in Iraq assisting its government in fighting against the Islamic State.
Biden lied about the advice he got on Afghanistan.
Will he be honest this time about the costs and benefits of keeping these troops in harm’s way? There is no reason to trust him.
