The top American general has dubbed the 20-year war in Afghanistan a “strategic failure” as the Pentagon leadership told lawmakers that they had recommended having 2,500 troops in Afghanistan to prevent a collapse of the West-supported Government in Kabul, but President Joe Biden disagreed.

The White House, however, defended the presidential decision, acknowledging that it was a split recommendation from Biden’s advisors and generals. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of US Joint Chief of Staff General Mark Milley and Gen Frank McKenzie, Commander of US Central Command, told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that the Pentagon had recommended Biden about the need to keep 2,500 American troops in Afghanistan post withdrawal.

“I won’t share my personal recommendation to the president, but I will give you my honest opinion, and my honest opinion and view shaped my recommendation. I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. And I also recommended earlier in the fall of 2020 that we maintain 4,500 at that time. Those are my personal views,” McKenzie told the senators.

Milley told the lawmakers that he also agreed with the recommendations that the US maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan.

“Outcomes in a war like this, an outcome that is a strategic failure — the enemy is in charge in Kabul, there’s no way else to describe that — that is a cumulative effect of 20 years,” he said, adding that lessons need to be learned.