Top military officials of the United States have revealed that they had recommended US president Joe Biden to keep some 2,500 American troops standing by on the ground in Afghanistan.
The top general, who testified before a high-level Senate committee on Tuesday, also expressed concerns over the fact that the Taliban had not completely severed its ties with the al Qaeda terror outfit.
The development comes after White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden had received “split” advice from top-level leaders on what to do with the situation in Afghanistan.
General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff; General Kenneth McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command; and defense secretary Lloyd Austin were grilled for nearly six hours by members of the Senate Armed Services Committee about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the chaotic evacuation from Kabul airport.
General Milley also claimed that the United States' withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan amid the Taliban offensive had ‘damaged’ American credibility.