Gen. Milley: ‘There Was Nothing that I, or Anyone Else, Saw that Indicated a Collapse of [The Afghan] Army and This Government in 11 Days’

TRANSCRIPT:

MILLEY: "— previously said from this podium, and in sworn testimony before Congress, that the intelligence clearly indicated that multiple scenarios were possible. One of those was an outright Taliban takeover following a rapid collapse of the Afghan security forces and the government. Another was a civil war, and a third was a negotiated settlement. However, the time frame of a rapid collapse, that was widely estimated and ranged from weeks to months, and even years following our departure. There was nothing that I, or anyone else, saw that indicated a collapse of this army and this government in 11 days. Central Command submitted a variety of plans that were briefed and approved by the joint chiefs of staff, the Secretary of Defense, and the President. These plans are coordinated, synchronized and rehearsed to deal with these various scenarios. One of those contingencies is what we are executing right now."