U.S. commander confirms Taliban floated U.S. control of Kabul security during evacuation
Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, on Wednesday testified before the House Armed Services Committee that he had a meeting with Taliban representative Abdul Ghani Baradar in Doha, Qatar. During the Aug. 15 meeting, Baradar floated the idea of the American military taking control of Kabul's security during the evacuation process, McKenzie testified. The remark confirmed previous reporting from The Washington Post.
Clearly, McKenzie did not take Baradar up on that — he said he didn't even consider it a "formal offer" — and U.S. forces stuck to Hamid Karzai International Airport. The general explained that he had no instructions to commit to any citywide operation and the U.S. lacked the resources "to undertake that mission" anyway. He added that he was not sure if the message was ever brought to President Biden's attention.
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