Afghan military will collapse without some US help: General

Afghanistan’s military “will surely collapse” without some continued American support once all US troops are withdrawn, the most notable US general for the center East told Congress on Thursday (Apr 22). 

General Frank McKenzie also said he was very concerned about the Afghan government’s capability to protect the united states Embassy in Kabul.

McKenzie, head of US Central Command, said that as the US pulls out all forces, “my concern is the Afghans' capability to hold ground” and if they will able to continue steadily to maintain and fly their aircraft without US aid and financial support. 

He said it will be paramount to protect the united states Embassy and “this is a matter of great concern if you ask me set up future government of Afghanistan should be able to do that after we leave".

McKenzie has spent the week detailing to lawmakers the steep challenges facing the united states military since it moves to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by Sep 11, as ordered by President Joe Biden last week. Walking a careful line, the general has painted a dire picture of the street ahead, while also avoiding any pushback on Biden's decision.

US officials have made it clear that military commanders didn't recommend the entire, unconditional withdrawal that Biden has ordered. Military leaders have constantly argued for a drawdown predicated on security conditions in the country, saying that pulling troops out by a specific date eliminates strain on the Taliban and weakens US leverage in the peace talks with the group.

Still, McKenzie said the Biden administration's “deliberate and methodical” withdrawal discussion “was heartening", implicitly drawing a contrast with former President Donald Trump's penchant to make abrupt troop withdrawal decisions and announcing them by tweet.

In public and private sessions with lawmakers, McKenzie has been pressed about how precisely the US will maintain strain on the Taliban and stop terrorist groups from taking hold in Afghanistan again after the United States and its own coalition partners leave. 

The US has more than 2,500 troops in the united states; the NATO coalition has said it will follow the same timetable for withdrawing the a lot more than 7,000 allied forces.

He told the Senate Armed Service Committee on Thursday that once troops leave the united states, it will require “a lot longer” than four hours to go armed drones or other aircraft in and out of Afghanistan to supply overhead surveillance or counterterrorism strikes. He said it should take far more aircraft than he's using now.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking at NATO earlier this month, said the united states will continue steadily to support the Afghans after the withdrawal. He said “we can look to keep funding key capabilities including the Afghan Air Force and Special Mission Wing, and we will seek to keep paying salaries for Afghan Security Forces".

Austin and others have said the united states will maintain the capability to counter terrorists in Afghanistan, but there are few details, and officials say they have not yet gotten any diplomatic agreements for basing with the surrounding nations.

McKenzie has declined to provide details through the public sessions.

He said there are no decisions yet on what size of diplomatic contingent will be left at the US Embassy in the Afghan capital, and whether it will add a security cooperation office. Those decisions, he said, could reflect the way the US ensures the defence of the embassy. Marines often provide security at other embassies around the world.

Senators voiced divided views on the withdrawal, with comments crossing party lines. Several lawmakers questioned if the US will be able to prevent the Taliban from allowing a resurgence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan who are seeking to attack America. Others asked if the united states should be able to adequately account for the way the Afghan government spends any American money.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen said there are concerns a US withdrawal will generate a vacuum in the united states that China, Russian or Iran will fill. But Senator Elizabeth Warren argued that the US presence in Afghanistan over the past 10 years hasn't led to much improvement. She said the federal government is still corrupt and the Taliban control a larger portion of the united states than it did before.

The Pentagon has said it’s not clear yet whether any US contractors will stay in the country. The Defense Department says the number of contractors in Afghanistan started to decline in the last year or so. Based on the latest numbers, there are near 17,000 Defense Department-funded contractors in Afghanistan and significantly less than one-third of these were Americans.

The total included more than 2,800 armed and unarmed private security contractors, which more than 1,500 are armed. Of these 1,500, about 600 are Americans.