In an exclusive interview with Fox News, retired Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie, the former head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), offered a stark assessment of the Afghanistan withdrawal: "I believe history will judge our decision to exit Afghanistan, along with the manner in which we executed it, as a fatal flaw," McKenzie candidly stated.

During his tenure as commander of U.S. Central Command, overseeing military operations in the Middle East from March 2019 to April 2022, McKenzie played a pivotal role in orchestrating the largest evacuation in U.S. history. This evacuation, carried out in the lead-up to the August 31, 2021, deadline when the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan, successfully relocated approximately 124,000 Afghans.

Reflecting on his tenure, McKenzie expressed deep regret regarding the fundamental decision to evacuate. "I have numerous regrets about the conclusion of our mission in Afghanistan," he admitted. "I regret the fundamental decision, which I believe was misguided. Specifically, I regret that we did not initiate the evacuation of our embassy personnel, American citizens, and vulnerable Afghans concurrently with our deployment of combat forces. I view this as a grave error that directly contributed to the events of August 2021."

The days leading up to the August 31 deadline were marked by sheer chaos, with heart-wrenching scenes of desperation. Parents resorted to desperate measures, even passing their infants over fences in the hope that their children might find a better life as orphans than under Taliban rule. People clung desperately to the sides of C-17 aircraft, with nothing but their sheer determination to hold onto. Thousands of men, women, and children of all ages gathered at the gates of Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, laden with whatever possessions they could carry on their backs, yearning for a chance to escape the impending turmoil.