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by John B Nevin at Uncover DC
Marine Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller posted a video statement “To the American Leadership” of the Afghanistan withdrawal that went viral on August 26th. In it, he said, “I have been fighting for 17 years. I am willing to throw it all away to say to my senior leaders: I demand accountability.” He questioned brass by asking, “Did any of you throw your rank on the table and say, ‘Hey, it’s a bad idea to evacuate Bagram Airfield, a strategic airbase, before we evacuate everyone?’ Did anyone do that?”
Scheller says he was “relieved for cause based on a lack of trust and confidence” the next day.
Controversy has surrounded the withdrawal. The U.S. Air Force Base in Bagram was 40 miles north of Kabul and was the largest U.S. military base in the world before being closed in July, leaving the Hamid Karzai airport to be used—which requires Taliban cooperation.
A bipartisan chorus in the media has been critical; even Biden’s most loyal allies have chosen expressive words such as “risky,” “chaotic,” and “disaster.” Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the withdrawal one of the “worst foreign policy decisions in American history, much worse than Saigon.” At the same time, the top Republican on the House Foreign Relations Committee, Michael McCaul, said Biden will have “blood on his hands.”
Through a CENTCOM Public Affairs / Communication Integration department designed to provide public-facing information, Commander General Frank McKenzie stated on August 17 that he “saw firsthand” a “secure” airfield. A gunfire exchange and a “complex” attack at the airport gate by suicide bombers are among incidents that have occurred since, and these have been used to justify military actions that include Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) strikes, which the U.S. military maintains have successfully prevented more.
The pre-emptive “counterterrorism operations” are part of the over-the-horizon initiatives that have had U.S. forces providing training, advice, assistance, support, and intelligence from remote bases—until recently, against Taliban forces. They are being called “defensive” and include the most recent strike on a vehicle in Kabul which CENTCOM Public Affairs says disrupted “an imminent ISIS-K threat to the airport.”
In July, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that “Our commitment to the future of a stable and secure Afghanistan has not changed. It’s just going to look different. We’re just not going to be on the ground the way we are now.” He also stated the Department of Defense had been in “discussions with the State Department regarding the nature of what [the over-the-horizon] capability will be” in the region.
Scheller’s perspective is that the lives lost during the occupation of Afghanistan since the initial October 2001 attack are at risk of being in vain if “we don’t have senior leaders that own up.” Accountability for mistakes is necessary to avoid repeating them in the future and help understand and heal soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
In the post that accompanied his initial August 26 video, Scheller gave some additional explanation of his actions:
“America has many issues, but it’s my home; it’s where my three sons will become men. America is still the light shining in a fog of chaos. When my Marine Corps career comes to an end, I look forward to a new beginning. My life’s purpose is to make America the most lethal and effective foreign diplomacy instrument. While my days of hand-to-hand violence may be ending. I see a new light on the horizon.”
He followed up on the 27th with a Facebook post that acknowledged those fellow Marines who had asked that he take down the first video. He explained his decision not to while encouraging his supporters to join:
“If you all agree, then step up. They only have the power because we allow it. What if we all demanded accountability?” He closed the post with a quotation from Thomas Jefferson: “Every generation needs a revolution.”
On August 29, Scheller posted a longer video titled ‘Your move’ that he says was filmed from an undisclosed location in Eastern North Carolina from inside an abandoned school bus. Sitting in front of a chessboard with the pieces set out in a famous opening position called the “Trompowsky Attack,” Scheller announced his resignation from the Marine Corps. He explained the implications and said he would forfeit retirement entitlements and healthcare from the Veterans Administration…
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