U.S. Rep. Kelly grills generals on Afghanistan

U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly grilled top military brass on the Afghanistan withdrawal during a hearing in Washington last week.

Kelly and fellow members of the House Armed Services Committee heard testimony from the Department of Defense during the hearing Wednesday, Sep. 29. 

Kelly is a Neshoba County native and attended Union High School, which he referenced during the hearing on national television. 

Kelly questioned Lloyd J. Austin III, Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense Chairman General Mark Milley, and General Kenneth McKenzie, Jr., USMC, Commander, U.S. Central Command.

“Thank you for being here,” Kelly said to begin the hearing and went on to criticize Milley and expressed his disapproval of Milley going to the press.

“I understand the conversation with the Chinese leader,” he told Milley. “What I don’t understand is you going to the press. That disappoints me that you talked to the press about that. The other stuff I’m okay with, but I’m not okay with you talking to the press. I want to talk a little bit about Bagram. There are two runways at Bogram and only one at Hamad Karzai, is that correct?”

“That’s correct,” Milley said. 

“So there are strategic values to two runways versus one, would you agree with that?” Kelly asked. 

“It’s entirely dependent on the mission,” Milley said. 

Kelly asked about the drone strike on Aug. 29 that killed 10 innocent civilians, who set the rules of engagement, and what level they were. 

“It was the U.S. Military’s rules of engagement,” McKenzie said. 

“Was that President Biden’s, or was it Secretary Austin’s?” Kelly asked. 

“They are wholly neutral to the party and power,” McKenzie said. 

Kelly referred to a New York Times article on March 3 that described a policy change of the Biden Administration that placed greater restrictions on drone strikes and raids conducted outside conventional battlefield zones. 

“Previously authorized by ground commanders, these operations now require White House approval,” Kelly said. “The strike on August 29th, the one that killed 10 innocents, did it require presidential approval prior to the strike?”

“No, it did not,” McKenzie said. 

Kelly asked what level the approval authority was for the strike, which McKenzie said was the Target Engagement Authority. He said the individual who approved the strike was at the Flag Officer level. 

“At what point, General McKenzie, and this is for all three of you, at what point did you know that the strike was bad and that it hit civilians?” Kelly asked. 

“We knew it had hit civilians around four or five hours after the strike occurred, and the U.S. Central Command released a press release saying that,” McKenzie said. “We did not know that the target of the strike was a mistake until sometime later. It took us a few days to run that down.” 

“Secretary Austin, when did you know it was a bad strike that killed civilians?” Kelly asked. 

“As soon as General McKenzie reported that there were civilians injured,” Austin said. 

“So four or five-hour time frame, that’s all I need,” Kelly said. 

“Typically, as soon as that happens, we investigate it and begin the investigation,” Secretary Austin said.

Kelly asked when they knew civilians were killed in the strike, and Austin confirmed it was several hours after the strike occurred. He then asked about a second strike and secondary explosion, and who was killed. 

“I’d prefer to pass you that name in a classified setting,” McKenzie said. “I think it was a facilitator, and it was a good strike. We got someone who while not directly involved in the attack on Abbey Gate on the 26th, it certainly fell within that circle.”

“Classified would certainly like to know that,” Kelly said. “I just don’t understand. I went to Union Public High School with 1100 students. 15,000 U.S. citizens in Afghanistan, 5,400 out. That leaves thousands, not hundreds, left there who want to get out. And I know for a fact that every office here we had people calling us wanting to get out; U.S. citizens that were not allowed to get in the gate, were kicked off the base, or were just not allowed out. And with that I just ask guys, we gotta get our folks home.”

Kelly, a Republican, represents the 1st District.