In what’s been described as a photo that “may become an enduring memory of the end of the U.S. war in Afghanistan,” Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue walks toward a C-17 transport plane at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, the last US military member who had boots on Afghan soil. This from redstate.com.
Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, commander of our All American Division, boards a C-17 Globemaster III at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. Donahue is the final American #Paratrooper to depart Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/COn3ibnx3C
— All American Division (@82ndABNDiv) August 31, 2021
In a number of articles penned in the following days, Donahue is characterized as “uniquely qualified” for that moment in time and generally depicted as a humble, understated leader of his division.
Unfortunately, everything may not be quite as it seems.
During the last hours of the evacuation, according to troops under his command and as documented by photographs and witness statements, Donahue ordered all of the passengers aboard a C-17 transport plane to disembark so he could have a souvenir loaded onto the plane.
That souvenir, or “war trophy,” was an inoperable Taliban-owned Toyota Hilux with a fully operational Russian ZU-23 anti-aircraft autocannon mounted in the bed. Once the Hilux was loaded passengers were allowed back on the plane, but, of course, there wasn’t room for all of them. According to troops on the scene, at least 50 people and perhaps as many as 100 people were left at Kabul to make room for the Hilux.
This Taliban-owned Toyota Hilux with Russian ZU-23 anti-aircraft weapon was loaded
onto a C-17 during the last hours of the evacuation, displacing evacuees, witnesses say.
It is believed that many of those left behind have been or will be killed by the Taliban, in part because of information allegedly provided to Taliban commanders by Donahue himself. We already know that he was in direct contact with Taliban commanders that day; Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of the US Central Command, said in a press briefing that:
“[O]ne of the last things [Donahue] did before leaving was talk to the Taliban commander that he had been coordinating with about the time that we were going to leave just to let them know that we were leaving.”
One military intelligence source, who requested anonymity, told RedState:
“Some of those on the last planes out were key HUMINT assets. At least 50, likely as many as 100 were left behind after being removed from the flight. But the 50 were bonafide personnel that should have been evacuated. They will likely never be heard from again. The Taliban was given literally everything that would prevent any of those people from hiding or escape and evasion, and we know that there are a lot of ‘disappearings’ going on.”
As far as policies regulating bringing something such as the Hilux or the ZU-23 to the US, an Army informational paper about war trophies states:
War trophies or souvenirs taken from enemy military property are legal under the LOW [Law of War]. War trophy personal retention by an individual soldier is restricted under U.S. domestic law. Confiscated enemy military property is property of the United States. The property becomes a war trophy, and capable of legal retention by an individual Soldier as a souvenir, only as authorized by higher authority.
And a 2014 article by the 10th Mountain Brigade’s Public Affairs office, advising soldiers who were in Afghanistan, at Bagram, at that time states:
Individuals often inquire about bringing back war trophies such as AK-47’s, used light anti-tank weapon rocket tubes and some foreign military equipment. These items cannot be transported back for individual collection. Units can bring these items back as museum pieces but the necessary paperwork is more intensive and requires an extended period of time for an approval that is anything but guaranteed.
If a unit wishes to bring a war trophy home for their unit museum, they may contact a customs agent for example forms. Just be sure to submit the paperwork as soon as possible.
Some of the soldiers that were tasked with loading the Hilux onto the C-17 did not want to assist Donahue in this endeavor and took photos and videos to document what was happening. Transcripts of two videos have been provided to RedState.
In one transcript a soldier loading the Hilux remarked:
“Nothing says American success and prosperity like a ZU-23 in the back of a Hilux.”
Another pointed out that under “standing orders” war trophies aren’t allowed:
“I thought we aren’t allowed war trophies per the standing orders. They court martialed [name redacted] for trying to smuggle a pocket knife he took from the Taliban.”
Another soldier responded:
“You are not a Major General. Shut up and push.”
And, a soldier who refused to participate said:
“I want nothing to do with this because war trophies = war crimes.”
Another soldier asked about the proper documentation for the war souvenir:
“Why wasn’t a DD603 war souvenir registration/authorization completed?”
The reply?
“The general doesn’t need such a form.”
One soldier said that Donahue’s second-in-command gave this reasoning for bringing the Hilux home:
“[I]t will serve as a symbol in the 82nd Airborne Division Museum on Fort Bragg of how the Division came into a chaotic situation and by confiscating the Hilux from the Taliban we quickly regained the tactical advantage in order to complete the mission.”
It’s stunning that Donahue believes we had the tactical advantage at the Kabul airport at any time during the evacuation.
A Pentagon source speaking on condition of anonymity told RedState that some in the chain of command have been interviewed about the incident, including Col. Joe Buccino. According to that source, Buccino confirmed that the Hilux was brought to the US but claims the Russian ZU-23 was not. Witnesses say the Hilux is currently in a container truck on Fort Bragg, awaiting its unveiling at the 82nd Airborne Museum.
The fourth area calls for the division to “live the legacy” by strengthening the bond with paratroopers of the past, present and future.
Paratroopers take care of each other and their families and always do the right thing, Donahue said.
“That’s the culture we’re trying to continue to build upon,” he said. “It’s not new. We’re just building upon it.”
If these allegations are true, Donahue very clearly did not do the right thing.
I don’t want any part of convicting before investigating, however, as the article presents, Biden may not have been the only one to have made mistakes during the disastrous exit from Afghanistan.
What say you Def-Con News readers?
