Senator Tillis: (
01:58:48)
Did any of you embrace the notion that the 2,500 plus the several thousand, I think an estimated 5,000 NATO allies and partners who were willing to stay there as well, did any of you agree with the President’s assessment, that if he acted on that recommendation, that he would ultimately have to send tens of thousands more US service members to Afghanistan? That if we held that one, that it would ultimately just delay the day where we would be back to a 100,000 or 50,000 US forces in Afghanistan?
Gen. McKenzie: (
01:59:24)
So Senator,
these discussions were occurring in January, February, March. They’re separate from the late August discussions, so I want to make that point.
Senator Tillis: (
01:59:32)
But, in your best military judgment, do you believe that the recommendations that General Miller put forth, with some 2,500 and I think General Milley said maybe flex up at 3,500, do you believe that that would’ve sewn the seeds for ultimately having to send tens of thousands of US service members back to Afghanistan? As the president has said, publicly?
Gen. McKenzie: (
01:59:55)
Senator, I believe there was a risk you would incur increasing attacks by the Taliban. That was a risk withholding at 2,500. That was a very clear risk, but I’ll tell you, Senator I’m really humbled recently by my ability to deduce what the Taliban or would not do, so I think it’s hard to know.
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