Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
General Military Command Center United States of America (US Central Command/Centcom), Frank McKenzie, said Major General Chris Donahue spoke with the commando Taliban before leaving Afghanistan.
Donahue, the airborne combat commander, was the last US soldier to leave Afghanistan on Monday (30/8) and marks 20 years since the invasion of Uncle Sam’s country ended in the country.
McKenzie said one last thing Donahue did before leaving Kabul Airport was “talk to the Taliban commander”.
Quoted CNNMcKenzie said the United States was coordinating with Taliban commanders on the last day of its troop presence in Afghanistan.
“But there’s been no discussion of changing anything about that (withdrawal of US troops) at all,” McKenzie said.
“We didn’t hand him over to the Taliban. Gen. Donahue, one of the last things he did before leaving was to talk to the Taliban commanders with whom he had been communicating, to tell them we were leaving,” he added.
McKenzie said the Taliban were “very pragmatic and very business-oriented” about the process of withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan.
In addition to Donahue, the acting U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, also became the last Uncle Sam State official to leave the South Asian country.
The last official US military aircraft left Afghanistan on Monday (30/8) afternoon Kabul time with the remaining troops and core diplomatic staff.
The plane marked the end of a 20-year military mission in Afghanistan, the longest war in US history.
“The last C-17 plane took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport on August 30 this afternoon at 3:29 p.m. local time,” McKenzie said.
“Every US military personnel has now come out of Afghanistan. I can say with 100 percent confidence,” he added.
The Taliban celebrated the victory by opening fire in the air in the capital Kabul after the last US military plane took off from Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Not long after that, the Taliban declared independence and control over Afghanistan.
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