US commander who wanted top brass to admit Afghan mess relieved of his duties

By Asianet Newsable English | First Published Aug 28, 2021, 3:57 PM IST

Lt Col Stuart Scheller had on Thursday posted a nearly five minute video on Facebook in which he slammed the military leadership and declared that the country has completely messed up everything.

A United States Marine Corps battalion commander was relieved of his duties after he voiced his views about lack of accountability for the country's failed Afghanistan mission.

Lt Col Stuart Scheller had on Thursday posted a nearly five-minute video on Facebook in which he slammed the military leadership and declared that the country has completely messed up everything.

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The video was posted after a suicide bomber detonated himself outside the Abbey Gate at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. At least 170 Afghan nationals trying to flee the country from Taliban persecution and 13 US marines were killed in the deadly bombing.

The video went viral on Facebook. This, perhaps, was a rare expression of discontent from a serving US Military officer.

Lt Col Stuart Scheller claimed that he knew one of the US marines killed in the Kabul blast.

The officer said he was through the video he wanted to express his growing discontent and contempt for what he perceived as the inept foreign policy of the United States.

He said that people are not upset because the Marine on the battlefield let someone down, but because they are seeing their leaders let them down.

None of them have raised their hands and accepted accountability and saying, 'We messed it up', Lt Col Stuart Scheller said.

He further said that other commanders who had spoken to him were wondering if all those US military lives lost in the last 20 years were in vain.

The outburst saw Lt Col Stuart Scheller, who has been part of the force for 17 years, being relieved for cause based on a lack of trust and confidence.

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