WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th July, 2021) Gen. Scott Miller has handed his authority as the US forces commander in Afghanistan to Central Command (CENTCOM) head Gen. Frank McKenzie on Monday, Washington Post reported.
The transition ceremony of command authorities took place during a ceremony at the US military headquarters in Kabul following US President Joe Biden's announcement last week that the full drawdown of American forces will be completed by the end of August.
Gen. McKenzie arrived in Afghanistan on Monday morning and told reporters traveling with him that the Taliban (outlawed in Russia) is pursuing a "military victory" over the Afghan government while predicting the military group will encounter significant resistance in Kabul since the capital defense has become more complex and larger since the 1990s, the newspaper reported.
"I think, certainly, the provincial capitals are at risk, and we'll see how that shakes out over the next few weeks," McKenzie said as cited by Washington post. "I think the Afghans are determined to fight very hard for those provincial capitals."
Gen. Scott Miller has been the commander of the US forces in Afghanistan since September 2, 2018, making him the longest-serving top military commander in the course of nearly 20 years of US presence in Afghanistan.
The announcement of the planned transfer of command authority from Miller to McKenzie in Afghanistan was made by Pentagon in early July. Miller is expected to remain in Afghanistan in the coming weeks to complete the turnover of his duties and responsibilities to McKenzie.
