Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, meet Army Gen. Scott Miller at Joint Base Andrews, Md., upon his return home from Afghanistan after relinquishing command of U.S. and NATO Resolute Support Mission, July 14, 2021. Miller relinquished command July 12, 2021 as the U.S. reduces the military presence in Afghanistan. (DOD Photo by Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Carlos M. Vazquez II)
Michael Hughes: U.S. Defense Department Secretary Lloyd Austin believes the United States mission is not over in Afghanistan – a declaration that comes with nearly all American troops gone, the Taliban on a rampage, and the U.N. sounding alarms over human rights abuses.
The insurgents over the past few days, with near impunity, have been terrorizing Afghan soldiers and civilians – and well above the average everyday-type terrorizing. The Taliban were caught on video executing 22 Afghan commandos who tried to surrender and have reportedly begun instituting brutal repressive laws in conquered territories, just to name a few recent examples.