US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed a highly regarded general out of the military after becoming fixated on a photograph showing the officer as the last US service member to leave Afghanistan, according to a report by The New York Times. General Christopher Donahue, 57, was photographed by an Army photographer as he boarded the final US military aircraft leaving Afghanistan on 30 August 2021.
\n\nThe image, taken using a cellphone and night-vision device at 23:59 local time – one minute before the agreed deadline for the US withdrawal – quickly spread online.
\n\nAccording to senior Pentagon officials cited by the Times, Hegseth mistakenly believed the photograph was a selfie taken by Gen Donahue and became preoccupied with it.
\n\nThe photograph was in fact taken by an Army photographer, according to the report.
\n\nGen Donahue was the last US service member to board the final plane out of Afghanistan, following a chaotic withdrawal that came days after an Islamic State suicide bombing at Kabul airport. The 26 August 2021 attack killed 13 US service members and at least 170 Afghans.
\n\nThe attack took place at Abbey Gate, which was controlled by US Marines during the evacuation.
\n\nGen Donahue had returned…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/latest-news
