Donald Trump’s transition team is reportedly making a bold move to hold military officers accountable for the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. According to NBC News, Trump’s team is compiling a list of military leaders who could face court-martial, with some even facing charges as serious as treason.
The person leading this effort is Matt Flynn, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for counternarcotics. He is expected to head a commission that will investigate how the U.S. got involved in the 20-year war in Afghanistan and, more importantly, how the withdrawal was handled. Sources familiar with the situation have said that Trump’s team is taking this matter very seriously and wants to send a strong message.
Some military commanders, the sources say, may even be called back to active duty to face these serious charges. This comes after a disastrous withdrawal that left many wondering how things went so wrong. As the Taliban quickly took control of Afghanistan, the U.S. left behind billions of dollars in military equipment and left American civilians and Afghan allies stranded. The withdrawal ended tragically with a suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport, killing 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians.
Trump’s Harsh Criticism
Trump has not held back in his criticism of the withdrawal. He has called it “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.” His nominee for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has also strongly criticized the military leaders responsible. In his book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth accused these generals of lying, mismanaging the withdrawal, and failing their duty to protect both troops and civilians.
In the book, he claims the military brass “disgraced our troops, and our nation,” adding that they “got people killed, unnecessarily,” and yet many of these commanders still hold their positions.
Flynn Denies the Plan
While the sources have indicated that Flynn is leading the effort, Flynn himself has denied any involvement. He told NBC News that he has no part in Trump’s transition team, nor in any plans related to military justice. A lawyer for Flynn even claimed that some of the sources pushing this story were simply trying to position themselves for jobs in the new administration.
Despite Flynn’s denial, the leaked information has sparked a lot of discussion in Washington. The idea of military leaders facing serious charges over the Afghanistan withdrawal is controversial, but it’s clear that Trump’s team is determined to make this a key issue moving forward.
