A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of a normal who oversaw troops in Kabul throughout the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, in accordance with a Senate aide.
The transfer by Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin follows threats from President-elect Donald Trump to fireplace senior officers and officers who oversaw the chaotic pullout from Afghanistan in 2021. It additionally comes as Trump’s transition crew weighs doable court-martial proceedings towards present and former officers concerned within the withdrawal, as NBC News beforehand reported.
Army Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue was nominated for promotion to turn out to be a four-star normal and to supervise U.S. Army forces in Europe. His nomination was amongst greater than 900 proposed nominations despatched to the Senate however Donahue’s was placed on maintain by Sen. Mullin, in accordance with the Senate aide.
Mullin’s workplace declined to remark.
Donahue was the final American service member to board the ultimate U.S. army airplane out of Afghanistan in 2021. An evening-vision {photograph} of Donahue boarding a cargo airplane went viral, capturing the symbolism of the tip of America’s 20-year-long struggle.
After the U.S.-backed authorities in Afghanistan fell to Taliban militants, Donahue — then commander of the 82nd Airborne Division — was ordered to Kabul to supervise the withdrawal of U.S. forces, American embassy workers and Afghans who fought alongside American troops.
Retired Gen. Tony Thomas, former head of Special Operations Command, mentioned in a social media publish that the choice was a “shame” and that Donahue was being handled as a “political pawn.”
Heather Nauert, who labored for the State Department in Trump’s first presidential time period, mentioned in a social media publish that she is a Trump supporter and likes Sen. Mullin however disagreed with the maintain placed on Donahue’s promotion.
“Unless there are details I don’t know, holding up army promotions bc of our disgraceful Afghanistan withdrawal is incorrect,” she wrote.
Donahue is presently commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty in North Carolina.
His promotion may now be in danger as the present Senate will quickly go into recess and the brand new Republican-controlled Congress will begin its work in 2025.