Predating the last presidential campaign, one issue stood out among all others in a way that even democrats — at the time — were willing to admit was an abject failure of the highest degree.
The catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan was likely one of the most embarrassing failures in United States history, militarily and diplomatically.
Calls immediately went out for some form of accountability within the ranks of the political class in Washington, and from the leadership within the Pentagon.
It should be noted that civilian leadership takes the lead over military leadership in America — as it should be when it comes to the strategic use of the military.
Nevertheless, those Generals and upper echelons of military cadre hold a sacred duty to rightly inform and advise our elected leaders based on their technical and in-depth knowledge of military matters.
From everything we have heard since Biden’s abysmal Afghan withdrawal, while his political advisers were whispering words of affirmation, no military leadership was willing to put their stars on the line and speak up about the deadly mistake being made.
Now, it seems that one more promise the Trump campaign made… is about to be kept.
Today, during the first full cabinet meeting at the White House since the start of his second Term, President Trump and SecDef Pete Hegseth were asked about that debacle.
Have those within the military leadership responsible for going along with that complete catastrophe been fired, and held to account for failing in their capacity to adequately support the Constitution and the President when they knew better than anyone else the missteps being made in real time?
Here’s that moment on video from today’s Cabinet Meeting:
One thing to note which could be an exhaustive story on its own merits — in his explanation covering all the aid, equipment, and strategic loss in terms of the abandonment of Bagram Air Base…
President Trump said his original intent was to KEEP Bagram Air Base, even after the ultimate withdrawal.
According to the President, Bragam is “exactly one hour away from where China makes its nuclear missiles”.
And though China denies it, the President insists that the Chinese military now control Bagram.
The way he discussed it, it sounds like a topic that had been thoroughly discussed and decided in terms of a high level strategic perspective with future years in mind.
Just another misstep by the Biden administration on top of an entire pile of missteps.
Besides that, President Trump made it clear that he would like to see heads roll as a result of the complete failure on the part of the military leadership to stand up and advise and counsel against such an incredible misstep as a whole, according to a report in The Hill:
President Trump said “every single one” of the military generals involved in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan should be fired, seated next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Trump was questioned about whether his administration would fire or relieve from duty the military officers involved in the August 2021 withdrawal.
“I’m not going to tell this man what to do, but I will say that if I had his place I’d fire every single one of them,” Trump said, gesturing to Hegseth.
Hegseth replied that the Pentagon is “doing a complete review of every single aspect of what happened” with the deadly and chaotic August 2021 withdrawal and intends to deliver “full accountability.”
ADVERTISEMENTUnder Biden, who delayed the planned withdrawal by a few months, 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghans were killed by a suicide bombing outside the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as forces were exiting.
In the weeks before the U.S. was to fully leave, the country quickly fell to the Taliban, who seized abandoned American military equipment.
Trump on Tuesday called on the Taliban to return the U.S. equipment left behind.
“I think they should give our equipment back. And I told Pete to study that. But we left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind. Brand new trucks. You see them display it every year, on their little roadways,” he said.
He claimed the Taliban was selling the military weapons and gear, making Afghanistan, in Trump’s telling, “one of the biggest sellers of military equipment in the world.”
“They’re selling 777,000 rifles, 70,000 armor plated . . . trucks and vehicles,” he said. “I think we should get it back.”
Just a few days ago, President Trump called on the Taliban to return the trillions of dollars worth of military equipment and hardware left behind under Biden’s watch — now in the Taliban’s control.
It seems rather obvious that he knew the Taliban wouldn’t simply acquiesce to that request — which makes me wonder if that was the opening move in a plan to get the equipment back. (Or, the prerequisite justification for “denying” the Taliban their continued ownership?)
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 President Trump calls on the Taliban to return the $7,000,000,000 worth of US military equipment left behind in Joe Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal. pic.twitter.com/qv57SkBNgV
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) February 23, 2025
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wasn’t shy about letting it be known that a full and complete investigation was being launched into the Afghan withdrawal.
And he didn’t bat an eyelash when President Trump strongly suggested that if he were in Hegseth’s shoes… none of the military leadership that had anything to do with that debacle would be keeping their jobs.
In fact, Hegseth has already put the team of investigators in place who will conduct the investigation of those responsible on the military side of the house.
Exclusive: Hegseth Has Tapped Investigators for Afghanistan Withdrawal https://t.co/HUEkrsc8vw
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) February 18, 2025
Hegseth isn’t willing to put a timeframe on the investigation.
But he was adamant that accountability is coming, according to a report by Breitbart:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview that he has already picked investigators who will look into the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.
“We’ve already identified folks that’ll be in charge of that full investigation inside the Pentagon,” Hegseth said in the interview Thursday.
“I don’t have a timeframe on it. Sadly, we’ve already waited two-and-a-half years, three years since what occurred. I don’t want to wait longer, but I always want to get it right,” he said.
Hegseth said accountability is coming.
“The way you establish real accountability is by establishing real fact chains — chains of events, information, what happened. Why did it happen? Who made the decision? What was the reason they made that decision? Why did they give advice or not give advice? Why did they execute an order a certain way? Did they speak up when they were supposed to or not? I don’t think there’s anybody that feels like there’s been an honest accounting of what happened in Afghanistan. That’s our job,” he said.
“So, we’re going to drive that full investigation and get a sense of what happened. And as I stated to the workforce on Friday, I guess less than a week ago, accountability will be coming for what happened in Afghanistan, and that’s important to reestablishing trust at the Defense Department,” he added.
The outcry from the democrats is already starting to ramp up, claiming that only “tyrants” and “dictators” fire their military leadership.
Which is just about as idiotic of a statement as I’ve ever heard.
Not that I would use everything Obama did as any sort of standard for right and wrong, but… he did, in fact, purge the military — if you will remember.
I don’t remember any of the democrats crying foul about it when Obama was the one doing the firing.
In case any Democrats complain about Trump and Hegseth. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/FVtCwWH0Me
— Americano (@moraltreason) February 22, 2025
At any rate, it appears as though the promise of accountability for that terrible misstep will find its culmination in a thorough investigation and — at the very least — those who neglected their duty and kept their mouths shut when they SHOULD have spoken up… will be fired.
While I would personally rather see some older style justice dished out in the way military tribunals leading to something a little more visceral than a mere pink slip…
I’ll take what I can get, at this point.
And I’ll take it thankfully, knowing the rarity with which campaign promises get kept.
With any luck, we’ll see every last military leader who touched the Afghanistan withdrawal without speaking up removed from the ranks of our fighting force, and away from any leadership within the Pentagon.
Accountability is needed; and so is a return to normalizing honor among the leadership of American armed forces.
Enough of the political hacks occupying leadership positions in our military.
We need warriors who operate according to honor and integrity, not pragmatic political ladder climbing — even if doing so means the loss of their position.
Maybe the accountability coming will be enough to push things a little farther in that direction.
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