McKenzie

CENTCOM Looks to Help Afghan Army Maintain Aircraft After Withdrawal

Kabul (BNA) U.S. Central Command is searching for “innovative” ways to help the Afghan Air Force turn wrenches on their planes after U.S. and coalition forces withdraw from the country, though the command’s boss acknowledges it’s not going to be easy.
US defense chief approves plan to transfer authority

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has approved a plan to transfer authority from Army General Scott Miller to Marine Corps General Frank McKenzie, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said late Friday.
Britain to leave troops beyond military mission end in Afghanistan

UK’s secretary of defense Ben Wallace said that 100 British troops will stay in Afghanistan along with the 650 US troops to protect UK’s Kabul-based embassy.
Senate report: 9,000 Americans still stranded in Afghanistan

The US Senate in a report said that there were from 15,000 to 16,000 Americans between August 17 and August 30 among whom only 6,000 were evacuated during the chaos Kabul evacuation.
Pentagon Seeks to Deploy Carrier as Troops Withdraw: US Media

US military officials said the request to deploy an aircraft carrier was sent to the desk of Pentagon Chief Lloyd J. Austin, who is expected to decide soon, The New York Times reported.
Commander of US, NATO forces in Afghanistan is stepping down

The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan General Scott Miller is stepping down Monday in a move that marks the symbolic end of the U.S. military mission in the country.
Afghan State Collapse Rooted in Doha Deal: US Officials

Senior Pentagon officials said Wednesday the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August could be traced to a 2020 U.S. agreement with the Taliban that promised a complete U.S. troop withdrawal.
US May Rely on New Bases Near Afghanistan for Future Ops

The United States Central Command as well as American diplomats are working on plans with countries in the region on agreements to base troops and aircraft for counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan after all forces are withdrawn from the country.
Pentagon Approves New Command Structure in Afghanistan

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has approved a new command structure in Afghanistan that includes the transition of US military mission from warfighting to two new objectives: protecting a continuing US diplomatic presence in Kabul and maintaining liaison with the Afghan military, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said on Friday.
Taliban Killed Over 100 Civilians In Kandahar’s Spin Boldak: MoI

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) announced that the Taliban ousted between 300 and 400 people from their homes and shot dead about 100 people after seizing the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province.
Daesh claims responsibility for explosions in Kabul

France Press has reported that ISIS-K/Daesh has claimed responsibility for three explosions in the West of the Afghan capital that killed two civilians and wounded at least five more.
The AP Interview: Taliban seek ties with US, other ex-foes

A top Taliban leader says Afghanistan’s new rulers are committed in principle to education and jobs for girls and women and have learned lessons from their previous time in power
US to 'Keep Pressure' on Daesh, Al Qaeda in Afghanistan: McKenzie

The head of US Central Command, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, said on Sunday that the US will seek to "keep pressure" on Daesh and Al Qaida, the Military Times reported.
Austin: Afghan Army Collapse 'Took Us All By Surprise'

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Congress on Tuesday that the Afghan army's sudden collapse caught the Pentagon "by surprise," as military leaders confronted a contentious Senate hearing about how and why America lost its longest war.
Top Generals Against Full Withdrawal, Biden Rejects Advice: Report

Kabul: Top US military commanders had suggested US President Joe Biden to consider putting in a residual force and setting conditions for troop withdrawal in Afghanistan, which Biden rejected.
Gen. McKenzie: Al-Qaeda, ISIS Recruiting in Afghanistan

US General McKenzie, commander of Central Command, in an interview with the Associated Press warned that Al-Qaeda and ISIS networks have been growing in Afghanistan.
Biden Afghanistan Fiascos Demand Accountability

The Pentagon’s admission late this week that its drone strike in Afghanistan on August 29 killed at least ten civilians, including seven children, rather than terrorists affiliated with ISIS-K, as it previously claimed, represents not just a “horrible mistake,” in the words of President Biden’s defense secretary Lloyd Austin.
US General Pledges More Air Support to Afghan Forces US General Pledges More Air Support to Afghan Forces

As violence continues to increase in the country, a top US general on Sunday said the United States will continue to carry out airstrikes to support Afghan National Defense and Security Forces facing Taliban attacks.
Post-withdrawal Strategies Being Drawn Out For Afghanistan
Single bomber carried out Kabul airport attack, U.S. military says

The U.S. military said on Friday that a single Islamic State (Daesh) bomber killed 13 U.S. troops and at least 170 Afghans at Kabul airport last August, not the complex attack originally suspected, and that it could not have been prevented with the resources on hand.
Biden names Kurilla as new CENTCOM chief

President Biden has nominated Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla as the next head of US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM).
Pakistan reopens Afghanistan border crossing held by Taliban

Pakistan on Monday reopened a major southwestern border crossing with Afghanistan that is currently under Taliban control on the Afghan side, Pakistani customs officials said, allowing over 100 trucks carrying goods to cross into Afghanistan.
US Senator Calls for Russian Bounties Intelligence to be Declassified
US military says won’t support Afghan forces with airstrikes after pullout

The United States is not planning to support Afghan forces with air strikes after completing withdrawal of its troops from the country, according to a top US general.
Multiple rockets fired at Kabul airport, intercepted by defense system

As many as five rockets were fired at Kabul’s international airport but were intercepted by a missile defense system, a U.S. official
20-Year-Long American Presence in Afghanistan Finally Comes to an End

U.S. forces have completed their departure from Afghanistan, the Pentagon announced on Monday, 30th August 2021, officially concluding a two-decade-long war that began shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Pentagon leaders to face Afghanistan reckoning in Congress

President Joe Biden’s top military leaders are expected to face some of the most contentious hearings in memory this week over the chaotic end to the war in Afghanistan, which cost the lives of U.S. troops and civilians and left the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) back in power.
US Senator Calls for Russian Bounties Intelligence to be Declassified
McKenzie Lists Out Top Priorities For US, Including Airstrike Authorization

General Scott Miller, who has commanded US and NATO troops in Afghanistan since 2018, earlier Monday handed over command of any remaining US operations in Afghanistan to US Central Command chief General Frank McKenzie, who will oversee the end of the withdrawal from his headquarters in Florida, and listed out his out priorities for the region.
US Escalates Airstrikes Against Taliban Targets

The US has escalated its airstrikes against Taliban targets in Afghanistan in a bid to bolster Afghan government forces combatting a sprawling offensive, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.