Pentagon leaders blame State Department for chaotic Afghanistan evacuation of civilians

Top Pentagon officials blamed the State Department for not beginning evacuations of civilians from Afghanistan sooner, calling the efforts "chaotic," while defending the "skill and leadership" of U.S. troops during a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday focused on the military withdrawal. 

The U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan was complete on Aug. 31, after successfully evacuating more than 124,000 individuals from Kabul – including 6,000 American citizens. Despite the large number of evacuations prior to the withdrawal date, at least 100 American citizens and thousands of Afghan allies remain in Afghanistan.