Former Gen. Mark Milley testifies on U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan: “We, the military … could not forge a nation.”

Former General Mark Milley testified on Tuesday on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“The United States military performed one of the most incredible evacuations under pressure in recorded history in an extremely difficult, dynamic, and dangerous environment,” Milley said. “That performance is due to the individual bravery, competence, and compassion of every private and general who had any role in this NEO. At the end of 20 years, we, the military, helped build an army, a state, but we could not forge a nation.”

Milley described the decision by President Biden to withdraw U.S. military forces in Afghanistan in August 2021 as part of the Doha agreement.

“On 14 August, the noncombatant evacuation operation decision was made by the Department of State, and the U.S. military alerted, marshaled, mobilized, and rapidly deployed faster than any military in the world could ever do,” Milley said. “It is my assessment that that decision came too late.”

“The deploying forces quickly took operational control of the airport with significant elements of the 82nd Airborne Division, Marines, National Guard, and Special Forces, along with our CIA partners and selected NATO forces.”

Milley acknowledged the withdrawal as a “strategic failure” of the U.S. military's efforts in Afghanistan, but emphasized the positive impact it had on the Afghan people and the ongoing mission to protect the United States from terrorist attacks originating from Afghanistan.

“The enemy occupied Kabul, the overthrow of the government occurred, and the military we supported for two decades faded away. That is a strategic failure,” Milley said. “But the military also provided hope for 20 years to the Afghan people. We provided unprecedented opportunity to millions, and in the final days, we gave 130,000 people their lives and freedom at very high cost. And most importantly, we protected the United States from terrorist attack from Afghanistan, which was our original mission, and that mission continues today.”