NEW DELHI: President Joe Biden’s most senior military advisers urged him to leave thousands of troops in Afghanistan to prevent the collapse of the country’s coalition government, the officials testified on Tuesday, directly contradicting Biden’s own recounting of their advice in the leadup to the chaotic American military withdrawal from the country.

Top generals of the US military said that they had advised US President Joe Biden to keep troops in Afghanistan. The statements, made to US Congress appear to go against Biden's claim that he did not recall receiving such a piece of advice. 
General Mark Milley and General Frank McKenzie testified before US Congress. The generals, along with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, were questioned by the Senate armed services committee.

“In the fall of 2020, my analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal without meeting specific and necessary conditions risks losing the substantial gains made in Afghanistan, damaging U.S. worldwide credibility, and could precipitate a collapse of the [Afghan National Security Forces] and the Afghan government, resulting in a complete Taliban takeover or general civil war,” Milley said in his opening statement to the committee.
“That was a year ago,” he continued, adding, “My assessment remained consistent throughout.”

Milley said that based on his assessment, and the advice of commanders, then-Secretary of Defense Mark Esper issued a memo on Nov. 9, 2020, recommending that the Trump administration “maintain U.S. forces at a level between about 2,500 and 4,500 in Afghanistan until conditions were met for further reduction.”

Despite this recommendation, Milley said that two days later, on Nov. 11, “I received an unclassified, signed order directing the U.S. military to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan no later than 15 January 2021.” However, he said, “after further discussions regarding the risks associated with such a withdrawal, the order was rescinded.”

McKenzie confirmed that he too believed it would be “appropriate” for 2,500 U.S. troops to remain in Afghanistan, “and if we went below that number we would probably witness a collapse of the Afghan government and the Afghan military.”

Taliban took power in a lightning offensive in August after all US troops withdrew from the country. This caused the fall of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's government. This led to a frenzied evacuation effort of foreign diplomats and Afghan civilians.

Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Tuesday that the US would have been at war with the Taliban had it maintained 2500 troops in Afghanistan.
The comments were made to clarify the apparent difference between the stance taken by US President Joe Biden and his military advisers.