Milley appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee Tuesday along with retired Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the former head of U.S. Central Command.
Milley testified that the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 was part of a series of failures made over 20 years of war.
"I think the whole thing was a strategic failure," Milley said.
But Milley also faulted the Biden administration for issuing an evacuation plan too late — in mid-August 2021, just a little over two weeks from the deadline to leave the country.
"I think that was too slow and too late," he said, referring to that as the "key" failure in the evacuation effort.
The White House has deflected blame for the Afghanistan retreat, even though a State Department After Action Report faulted both Biden and Trump administrations for poor planning.
Republicans said President Biden oversaw a disastrous withdrawal that has emboldened enemies across the globe.
"We are paying the price now, with conflicts roiling every corner of the globe," said Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.).
Seated behind the generals were Gold Star families of the 13 American servicemembers who died during the evacuation.
The troops were killed along with 170 Afghans after an ISIS-K suicide bomber detonated at Abbey Gate at the airport in the capitol of Kabul on Aug. 26, 2021.
Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was also at Tuesday's hearing, testified last year that he identified the suicide bomber but could not confirm up the chain of command to engage.
Milley said he was unaware of the details for Vargas-Andrews, but if there was a hostile target he should be cleared to engage.
"You don't have to ask permission," he said. "Every single soldier, sailor, airman, marine, ship's captain or fighter pilot has the right to self defense."
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
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