CNN
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A Republican senator has blocked the promotion of a general who oversaw the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, sources said, as President-elect Donald Trump vows to pursue officials involved in the withdrawal.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma blocked Lt. Gen. Chris Donahue’s promotion to four-star general as commander of the Army in Europe and Africa. Donahue was the last American soldier on the ground in Afghanistan at the end of the withdrawal, according to the Pentagon. A night vision photo of Donahue boarding a cargo flight from Kabul airport became a symbol of the end of two decades of war and the chaotic withdrawal that saw the deaths of 13 U.S. soldiers in suicide bombings.
President Trump said he would demand the resignation of “all high-ranking officials involved in the Afghanistan tragedy.” Vice President-elect J.D. Vance also pledged to pursue those involved in the withdrawal, saying, “Those who messed this up will suffer some consequences.”
Donahue is the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. At the time of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he was a major general commanding the 82nd Airborne Division.
“We are aware that Lt. Gen. Donahue is in custody,” Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, said at a news conference Monday. Singh said he was not aware of any other reservations regarding promotions related to the Afghanistan withdrawal.
On November 19, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced 984 military promotions, including nominations from each branch of the military. However, Donahue was not on the list of candidates to advance. Four days earlier, the Pentagon announced that he had been nominated for promotion to general.
In addition to leading the storied corps, Donahue also played a key role in U.S. efforts to assist Ukraine, helping to establish the Ukraine Security Assistance Group. The organization was established in November 2022 as a longer-term extension of the activities of the XVIII Airborne Corps, which deployed to Europe to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank after Russia invaded Ukraine.
CNN has reached out to Marin for comment.
On the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing, which killed 13 U.S. service members, Mullin said, “No one has been held accountable for this tragedy,” including Donahue and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley. The general’s name was clearly mentioned.
Even though Trump was the one who directly negotiated with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Republicans He has strongly criticized Milley and the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
This story has been updated with additional information.
