The U.S. Department of Defense said early today that a panel tasked with reviewing the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has completed a key phase of interviews with civilian and military leaders.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon spokesman who leads the panel, said in a statement: “This panel was established at the direction of President Donald J. Trump and by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to conduct the most comprehensive post-operation military review in modern history”
He added that the “The Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel” has interviewed key figures involved in planning and executing the withdrawal.
According to Parnell, the panel has so far interviewed individuals including Mark Milley, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Kenneth McKenzie, former commander of U.S. Central Command, and David Berger, former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Parnell also said that the review of around 9 million documents related to the withdrawal has been completed.
The Pentagon spokesman said: “Our purpose is to identify failures in decision-making so that we may prevent the United States from ever repeating this tragedy. It is our duty to ensure that the greatest military on Earth is accountable to the American people. Our work continues.”
He added that the panel will present its final report to the U.S. defense secretary and the American public in the coming months.
The United States fully withdrew from Afghanistan in early September 2021 after nearly 20 years of presence in the country.
The U.S. president and other officials have repeatedly criticized the manner in which the withdrawal was carried out.
