One of the “iconic” images of our catastrophic surrender from Afghanistan was a night-vision photograph of Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, the last American service member to depart the war-torn nation, boarding a C-17 Globemaster.
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
Mainstream media portrayed him kindly, like any brave U.S. soldier who fought and bled in Afghanistan for nearly two decades.
Our friend Jennifer Van Laar at RedState exclusively reported Sunday, however, that the 1992 West Point graduate erred badly in late August.
Donahue allegedly booted 50–100 American allies off the cargo plane so he could load a Taliban souvenir — an “inoperable Taliban-owned Toyota Hilux with a fully operational Russian ZU-23 anti-aircraft auto cannon mounted in the bed” — to bring home.
Not only did this violate standing orders against taking so-called war trophies, but those left behind have been or likely will be killed by the Taliban due to Donahue’s actions.
According to RedState’s informants, “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. Once the Hilux was loaded passengers were allowed back on the plane, but, of course, there wasn’t room for all of them. “
RedState also maintains that multiple sources claim Donahue’s contact with the Taliban was not limited to simply bidding them adieu.
They say the two-star general “provided the Taliban with a full manifest of passengers aboard the flights including passport information, photos, and biometric information for those passengers. The flights included US troops, Afghans who were employed by the Department of Defense, key human intelligence [HUMINT’ assets, and other SIV applicants and their families.”
This is similar to the “kill list” many media outlets reported on during late August.
As a new month opens, Afghanistan continues to present a horrendous situation on several fronts, while Americans become indifferent, especially since most media won’t cover the continued tragedies.
PJ Media will continue to track these developing stories.
Related: ‘A Giant Can of Worms’: Afghans Are Walking Off U.S. Bases, No One Knows Where They Are
Join the conversation as a VIP Member