White House press sec. Jen Psaki reacts after generals testify in Senate hearing that they opposed Pres. Biden’s decision to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan: “There was a range of viewpoints...that were presented to the president…as he asks for.”
MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Good afternoon. Hi. Okay. Zeke, I know this is disappointing — I have nothing at the top for you, so let’s just get into whatever you all have questions about. (Laughter.)
Q Okay. Well, why don’t we start with testimony on Capitol Hill that’s ongoing with General Milley and General McKenzie testifying that they believe that 2,500 U.S. troops were needed to sustain the Afghan government and hold off the Taliban. The President — that just seems to be the disconnect between that and how the President described the advice from his military advisors in that ABC interview six, or so, weeks ago when he said — he denied that the Pentagon wanted troop — to continue the American troop presence there. So, did the President mislead the American public about the advice of his military advisors?
MS. PSAKI: Well, let me give you a full — a couple of specifics from the actual transcript, because I know it’s been shorthanded a bit. No malintent.
But the question asked by George Stephanopoulos was, “But your” mil- — “top military advisors warned against withdrawing on this timeline. They wanted you to keep about 2,500 troops.” The President said, “No, they didn’t. It was split. That wasn’t true. That wasn’t true.” “It was split.” I think that’s a pretty key part of that phrasing there.
Later on, he — George Stephanopoulos said, “So, no one told — your military advisors did not tell you,” quote, “‘No, we should just keep 2,500 troops. It’s been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that. We can continue to do that.’?” “No. No one said that to me that I can recall.”
I would note today, in the testimony that was given by Secretary Austin, by General Milley, they made clear — Secretary Austin specifically said, “If you stayed there at a force posture of 2,500, certainly you’d be in a fight with the Taliban, and you’d have to reinforce…”
So, what should everybody take from that? There was a range of viewpoints, as was evidenced by their testimony today, that were presented to the President, that were presented to his national security team as would be expected, as he asked for. He asked for a clear — a clear-eyed — didn’t — asked them not to sugarcoat it — what their recommendations were.
It was also clear — and clear to him — that that would not be a longstanding recommendation, that there would need to be an escalation, an increase in troop numbers. It would also need — it would also mean war with the Taliban, and it would also mean the potential loss of casualties. The President was just not willing to make that decision. He didn’t think it was in our — the interest of the American people or the interest of our troops.
Q I’m sure some of my colleagues will have a couple of follow-ups on that. I just want to get to a couple of different topics.
MS. PSAKI: Sure.
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