Top U.S. commander relinquishes post amid Taliban insurgency
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN >> The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan relinquished his position at a ceremony in the capital Kabul on Monday, taking the United States a step closer to ending its 20-year war. The move came as Taliban insurgents continue to gain territory across the country.
Another four-star general will assume authority from his U.S.-based post to conduct possible airstrikes in defense of Afghan government forces, at least until the U.S. withdrawal concludes by Aug. 31.
Gen. Scott Miller served as America’s top commander in Afghanistan since 2018. He handed over command of what has become known as America’s “forever war” in its waning days to Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command. McKenzie will operate from Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.
During the handover, McKenzie credited Miller with getting U.S. troops home safely and moving out millions of tons of equipment. That has rankled some Afghan security officials who complained that equipment that could have been left for Afghanistan’s security forces was taken.
Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser Hamdullah Mohib, who attended the handover, said the U.S. and NATO withdrawal has left a vacuum that resulted in Afghanistan’s national security forces stranded on the battlefield without supplies, sometimes running out of food and ammunition.
In comments after the ceremony, Mohib said the greatest impact of the withdrawal is a lack of aircraft to resupply troops. Currently, the government is regrouping to retake strategic areas and defend its cities against Taliban advances.
The handover took place in the heavily fortified Resolute Support headquarters in the heart of Kabul at a time of rapid territorial gains by Taliban insurgents across Afghanistan.
Abdullah Abdullah, chief of Afghanistan’s National Council for Reconciliation, was in attendance. He dismissed suggestions the Taliban could stage a military takeover.
In a flag-passing ceremony, Miller remembered the U.S. and NATO troops killed in the nearly 20-year war as well as the thousands of Afghans who lost their lives.