It is no secret that the United States pullout from Afghanistan was a horrendous, tragic, and deadly catastrophe. Such a disaster, in fact, that a “list of retired admirals and generals demanding resignations from Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) Mark Milley has grown significantly in the last few days, going from under 90 just a few days ago to ballooning to 130 by Thursday” reports the Daily Wire.
The resignations are being demanded by the retired and admirals “based on negligence in performing their duties primarily involving events surrounding the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
The letter mentions the multiple U.S. citizens and its allies left behind this week, including the individual who personally helped rescue then-Senator Joe Biden of Delaware in 2008. Among the arguments pointed out in the letter is that Milley and Austin should have strongly pushed back on Biden’s plans. If Biden refused to listen to their warnings, then they should have immediately resigned and make a public statement bringing attention to the matter.
The letter states:
The consequences of this disaster are enormous and will reverberate for decades beginning with the safety of Americans and Afghans who are unable to move safely to evacuation points; therefore, being de facto hostages of the Taliban at this time. The death and torture of Afghans has already begun and will result in a human tragedy of major proportions. The loss of billions of dollars in advanced military equipment and supplies falling into the hands of our enemies is catastrophic. The damage to the reputation of the United States is indescribable. We are now seen, and will be seen for many years, as an unreliable partner in any multinational agreement or operation. Trust in the United States is irreparably damaged.
Moreover, now our adversaries are emboldened to move against America due to the weakness displayed in Afghanistan. China benefits the most followed by Russia, Pakistan, Iran, North Korea and others. Terrorists around the world are emboldened and able to pass freely into our country through our open border with Mexico.
Besides these military operational reasons for resignations, there are leadership, training, and morale reasons for resignations. In interviews, congressional testimony, and public statements it has become clear that top leaders in our military are placing mandatory emphasis on PC “wokeness” related training which is extremely divisive and harmful to unit cohesion, readiness, and war fighting capability. Our military exists to fight and win our Nation’s wars and that must be the sole focus of our top military leaders.
