Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma is delaying the promotion of lieutenant general Christopher Donahue, who oversaw the final withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Mullin postponed Donahue’s promotion to give US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration time to weigh in, according to a CBS News report.
Donahue was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan under an agreement between the Trump administration and the Taliban in August 2021.His promotion is part of a group of nearly 1,000 military promotions awaiting Senate approval. The delay prevents the Senate from confirming Donahue’s promotion to a four-star general and his taking command of US Army Europe.
Mullin has placed a hold on the promotion to allow the new Republican-controlled Congress and Trump to weigh in, given Donahue’s role in the Afghanistan withdrawal, according to a CBS report citing two sources familiar with the situation.
However, some army officials believe the hold is politically motivated and are working to have it lifted, the report said.
The 2021 withdrawal, based on the Trump administration’s agreement with the Taliban, required the group to refrain from engaging in terrorist activities. However, the Taliban ultimately violated the agreement, yet the Biden administration proceeded with the withdrawal in 2021.
During the withdrawal, the US evacuated around 125,000 people, including 6,000 Americans. The operation, however, was affected by a suicide bombing outside Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul, which resulted in the deaths of dozens of Afghans and 13 US service members.
