Longest-serving US commander in Afghanistan steps down from post [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• US General Scott Miller has officially relinquished his post as Afghanistan’s top commander during a ceremony in the country’s capital Sunday.
• Miller will be replaced by Marine General and US Central Command head Frank McKenzie, who will work remotely until August 31.
• Afghan officials were wary over the US’ pullout of its military equipment which could aid in their fight against the Talibans.

Top US General Scott Miller waived his position during a ceremony in Kabul, Afghanistan Monday ━ marking another significant step as the US nearly ends its over two decades of war.

Miller, who served as the commander in Afghanistan since 2018, handed over the command to Marine General Frank McKenzie. As the US Central Command head, McKenzie will be remotely responsible for defending the Afghan government forces as Taliban forces continue to gain strongholds in certain territories across the nation ━ at least until August 31 as he operates from the Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Florida.

During the ceremony, McKenzie thanked Miller for successfully bringing back the troops and the million tons of military equipment in the US. Some Afhgan officials, however, expressed dismay over what happened as they noted that they could have used it for security purposes.

During the flag-passing moment, Miller commemorated all the US and NATO troops who lost their lives while in service over the 20-year war. He also remembered the thousands of Afghan civilians who passed away due to the long conflict.

Per Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan’s National Security Adviser, the US and NATO withdrawal would leave their country in a vicious circle. Mohib, who was also present during the event, said that the government’s forces could be left in the battlefield with no arms and essential goods.

Mohib emphasized that the US departure would mean there would be lack of aircraft support to supply their military forces as it presently takes on the Taliban group to take over key areas in the country.

Afghanistan’s National Council for Reconciliation chief Abdullah Abdullah was also present during the ceremony. He rebuked speculations that the Taliban could overpower the government’s military.

“I’m worried, of course, when the Taliban are pushing for a military solution, that’s a cause of concern … but they cannot impose their will upon the nation militarily,” he said.

Last month, President Joe Biden and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani met at the White House. Even with US troops no longer being involved, Biden assured Ghani that the US will sustain its humanitarian support and will continue to provide security reinforcements.

Accordingly, the US has allocated a $4.4 billion yearly budget to Afghanistan to fund its military until 2024.

The ceremony commenced at the Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul. In a CENTCOM statement early this month, the US military withdrawal was already at 90 percent.

In previous weeks, the Taliban have controlled over several key districts across the region. The Taliban had dominated over a third of the nation’s 421 districts and district centers as of present.

Source: The Associated Press