Pentagon rejects blame, says US did not expect Afghan forces to “surrender” without a fight

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Pentagon press secretary John F. Kirby said on Monday that the US military “had not anticipated” the degree to which Afghan forces would succumb to a Taliban takeover.

Speaking at a Pentagon press conference on Monday, Kirby told reporters that the US military has carried out multiple planning exercises examining possible scenarios surrounding the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying ” the plans are great, and we take them seriously, but they aren’t and never are. were perfectly predictive. “

When asked by a reporter if one of the scenarios was a total takeover of the capital Kabul by the Taliban, Kirby replied: “It would certainly be wrong to conclude that the US military did not consider it a distinct possibility. than the Taliban countries, including Kabul. “

“A lot of times it happened really quickly,” Kirby continued. “And one of the things we couldn’t anticipate and didn’t anticipate was the degree to which the Afghan forces surrendered, sometimes without a fight.” Kirby’s comment seemed to blame the Afghan forces and his impression of their swift surrender.

“The president said he didn’t see this happen,” Kirby continued.

Kirby’s comments came shortly after President Joe Biden made remarks earlier Monday at the White House, saying: “The truth is, it has unfolded faster than we expected.”

In the same speech, Biden asserted that the rapid surrender of Afghan forces might be yet another reason why it was a good idea for US troops to withdraw, saying that “US troops cannot and should not do. war and die in a war that Afghan forces are unwilling to fight for themselves. “

Some say the rapid collapse of the Afghan army was proof that the United States had failed in its efforts to make it an independent power.

In addition to highlighting the swift defeat of the Afghan military, Biden and former President Donald Trump were quick to try to blame each other.

“Afghanistan is the most embarrassing military result in US history. It didn’t have to be that way! Trump said in a statement Monday.

While Biden pointed out that it was Trump who negotiated the “peace deal” deal with the Taliban last year in Doha, Qatar, with provisions allowing the US military to leave the region in 2021. In fact, Trump publicly pushed for an earlier withdrawal.

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby The United States had not expected Afghan forces to surrender so quickly. Here, President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the crisis in Afghanistan at the White House on August 16, 2021 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker / Getty

Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon for further comment, but did not receive a response until press time.

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