Ex-US generals who oversaw Afghan exit describe chaos in final days

Two former top generals testified to Congress about the "strategic failure" to prevent a Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. The ex-US generals, who oversaw the country's exit, described the chaos that unfolded in the final days of the withdrawal. The testimony shed light on the challenges faced by military leaders and the shortcomings of the Afghan government. In their testimonies, Generals Joseph Dunford and Kenneth McKenzie painted a grim picture of the situation on the ground. They described how the Afghan security forces crumbled under pressure, leading to a rapid Taliban advance across the country. Both generals expressed their disappointment at the collapse of the Afghan military, which had received extensive training and support from the United States. General Dunford, who served as the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, highlighted the strategic failure of the US mission. He emphasized that the goal of the mission was to build a sustainable Afghan security force capable of defending the country against the Taliban. However, the Afghan military's inability to hold the line against the insurgents exposed the weaknesses in the US strategy. General McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, echoed similar sentiments. He described the Taliban's advance as "unprecedented" and acknowledged that the US intelligence community had failed to accurately assess the speed at which the Afghan security forces would collapse. General McKenzie also admitted that the US military was caught off guard by the swift Taliban takeover of provincial capitals. The generals also spoke about the chaotic evacuation efforts in the final days of the withdrawal. As the Taliban closed in