87 retired generals called on Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley to resign over the 'disastrous' Afghanistan withdrawal
- A group of 87 retired generals signed a letter Monday calling for Austin and Milley's resignations.
- They said Austin and Milley should have convinced Biden against a swift Afghanistan exit.
- The same group had written another letter in May advancing a 2020 election conspiracy theory.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
A group of 87 retired US military generals called for the resignations of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley in an open letter on Monday over what they described as a "disastrous" withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The letter was written by a group called "Flag Officers 4 America," which describes itself as "retired US generals and admirals defending the Constitution." The group previously wrote another open letter in May, appearing to advance a false conspiracy theory by questioning the results of the 2020 election, as well as President Joe Biden's physical and mental health.
In the group's latest letter, it said that Milley and Austin showed "negligence in performing their duties" for the swift exit from Afghanistan, which has left Americans and Afghans loyal to the US stranded in Afghanistan and "de facto hostages of the Taliban."
"A fundamental principle in the military is holding those in charge responsible and accountable for their actions or inactions. There must be accountability at all levels for this tragic and avoidable debacle," the letter read.
Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, the head of US Central Command, said Monday afternoon that the US had evacuated more than 122,000 civilians from Afghanistan since the end of July. However, thousands of Afghan allies and dozens of Americans remained stranded.
The group said Milley and Austin should have recommended against the swift exit, and should have resigned in protest if they weren't able to convince Biden otherwise.
"As principal military advisors to the CINC/President, the SECDEF and CJCS should have recommended against this dangerous withdrawal in the strongest possible terms. If they did not do everything within their authority to stop the hasty withdrawal, they should resign," the letter said.
"Conversely, if they did do everything within their ability to persuade the CINC/President to not hastily exit the country without ensuring the safety of our citizens and Afghans loyal to America, then they should have resigned in protest as a matter of conscience and public statement."
The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the letter.
Milley has spoken publicly about the lack of intelligence indicating that Afghanistan would fall to the Taliban as fast as it did.
The letter went on to say that the "consequences" of "this disaster are enormous," and include the "death and torture of Afghans" and "indescribable" damage to America's reputation.
The group of generals also said it was "catastrophic" to have advanced military equipment falling into the hands of America's enemies. USA Today reported on Monday that tens of millions of dollars of aircraft, armored vehicles, and sophisticated defense systems were likely left behind, some of which were rendered inoperable before leaving.
McKenzie said on Monday that the US had permanently disabled over 150 vehicles and aircraft before leaving Kabul so they could not be used again.
The group also claimed that "due to the weakness displayed in Afghanistan," adversaries like China and Russia would be "emboldened to move against America" and that terrorists would "pass freely into our country" via the US-Mexico border.
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