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Feb 8 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Confirmation hearing of Lt. Gen. Erik Kurilla for promotion and appointment to chief of U.S. Central Command now underway.

armed-services.senate.gov/hearings/nomin…
As we begin: Documents cited in this scoop today show military officials saying that if Bagram was taken for the evacuation, Kurilla and the XVIII Airborne Corps likely would have led the effort.

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…
Kurilla now testifying. In his opening statement, he thanks his wife and two daughters -- one at Tufts, the other at Harvard.
Kurilla says there are "vexing" challenges in the Middle East, including civil war in the region, actions by Iran and ISIS reconstituting.
Kurilla says he'll head to Europe after the hearing. He's commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, which just sent a headquarters in Germany to oversee new operations in light of the crisis in Ukraine.

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More from @DanLamothe

Dan Lamothe Profile picture
Feb 9
If you were paying attention, you may have noticed that @PressSec and @StateDeputySpox commented on this scoop published Tuesday morning.

A couple of important points worth making to follow:

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…
@PressSec @StateDeputySpox If you saw the first version of the story, you would have seen no comments on the record from the White House and State Department in the story. That wasn't for a lack of trying. I communicated with them through the weekend and as late as Monday night shortly before 11 p.m.
At the State Department, @StateDeputySpox had a prepared statement that she read at the tail end of her briefing. Here it is in its entirety:
Read 9 tweets
Dan Lamothe Profile picture
Feb 8
EXCLUSIVE: Documents obtained by the @washingtonpost detail deep frustration from senior U.S. military commanders with the White House and State Department during the chaotic, deadly evacuation from Afghanistan.

washingtonpost.com/national-secur…
Late last week, as the U.S. military wrapped up a Pentagon briefing about the Aug. 26 bombing in Kabul that killed 13 U.S. troops and about 170 Afghans, @washingtonpost received a response to a FOIA request about the investigation.
It marked a rarity: 2,000 pages of timely documents about the operation, the explosion and how planning behind the scenes went.

There are witness statements from dozens of people, including Rear Adm. Vasely, Maj. Gen. Donahue and Brig. Gen. Sullivan.
Read 13 tweets
Dan Lamothe Profile picture
Feb 6
The Military Reporters & Editors Association is formally asking the Defense Department to allow journalists to embed with the U.S. troops that have been selected to deploy to NATO’s eastern flank.
militaryreporters.org/2022/02/milita…
Would add that while this hasn't happened yet, it's not for a lack of discussion.
Couple of things on this, based on confusion I see.

1) This isn't an ask to cover combat and the associated risks. U.S. troops won't be in that here. It's an ask better understand what the mission is in eastern Europe at an important time. To date, that has not been granted.
Read 4 tweets
Dan Lamothe Profile picture
Aug 29, 2021
U.S. military says this morning that it struck a vehicle in Kabul presenting an "imminent" threat by the Islamic State to Kabul airport. Significant secondary explosions reported, indicating a likely suicide bomber.
U.S. defense official says that the U.S. has carried out only one strike today, on a vehicle. Official says it is possible damage to a nearby building or buildings occurred following secondary explosion.

Taliban report that a rocket hit a building may be conflating the two.
Same official adds that it is not clear whether the U.S. strike in Kabul today hit what could have been a car bomber, or a suicide vest bomber inside the vehicle. Either way, threat to airport and U.S. troops there was considered imminent.
Read 6 tweets
Dan Lamothe Profile picture
Aug 27, 2021
As names and ages roll in on some of the U.S. service members killed in Kabul, we are reminded how much young men and women in uniform, often in their teens or early 20s, do for our nation.
This is Hospitalman Maxton William Soviak. He was 22 and from Ohio.

He was among the 13 U.S. troops killed in the Kabul bombing.

RIP.
This is Staff Sgt. Darin Hoover. He was 31 and from Utah.

He was among the U.S. service members killed in the Kabul bombing.
Read 17 tweets
Dan Lamothe Profile picture
Aug 27, 2021
NEW: Buses carrying hundreds of potential evacuees, including orphans, were turned away by the U.S. military at Kabul airport early Thursday, officials familiar with situation tell @GregJaffe and me.

At least some of the buses had made it inside.

washingtonpost.com/world/2021/08/…
Rep. @michaelgwaltz said in an interview on Thursday that he was among the lawmakers who tried to assist the privately organized group, which he said included Christians fleeing the Taliban.

They had coordinated with some U.S. personnel inside the airport, officials said.
“They were literally celebrating getting inside” when they were ejected, @michaelgwaltz said.

Other sources, including two Democrats on Capitol Hill, corroborate the story.
Read 6 tweets

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