McConnell: Taliban could take over Afghanistan by 'the end of the year'

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMcConnell: Taliban could take over Afghanistan by ‘the end of the year’ McConnell alma mater criticizes him for 1619 comments McConnell amid Trump criticism: ‘I’m looking forward, not backward’ MORE (R-Ky.) on Thursday predicted that the Taliban could overrun the Afghan government by the end of the year as U.S. troops withdraw.

“I think there’s a high likelihood that the Taliban will be back in control of the country, maybe as early as the end of the year,” McConnell told reporters in Kentucky.

McConnell has previously bashed President BidenJoe BidenAtlanta mayor won’t run for reelection South Carolina governor to end pandemic unemployment benefits in June Airplane pollution set to soar with post-pandemic travel boom MORE’s withdrawal from Afghanistan as a “grave mistake” that will “leave coalition partners and vulnerable Afghans high and dry,” but his comments Thursday put a specific marker on the dire predictions.

The U.S. military is in the midst of fulfilling Biden’s order to fully withdraw from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that sparked America’s longest war.

Some lawmakers and military officials, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark MilleyMark MilleyOvernight Defense: US may keep training Afghan forces in other countries | Defense chief tight-lipped on sexual assault decision | ‘Swift’ return to Iran deal possible, US says US adds 12 fighter jets to protect Afghanistan withdrawal McConnell: Taliban could take over Afghanistan by ‘the end of the year’ MORE, have laid out worst-case scenarios for Afghanistan after the withdrawal where the Taliban overruns the Afghan government, allowing al Qaeda to thrive anew and rolling back the rights of Afghan women and minorities.

But Milley has also said he does not think the worst-case scenario is a “foregone conclusion.”

In announcing the withdrawal, Biden declared that it was “time to end the forever war.”

On Thursday, McConnell pushed back on that, saying he doesn’t “think you can call this an endless war.”

“We haven’t been in raging combat the entire period,” McConnell said, citing the fact that no U.S. troops have been killed in combat in more than a year.

But the lack of U.S. combat deaths in Afghanistan over the last year came as the Taliban largely held back in attacking U.S. and coalition forces after signing a withdrawal agreement with the Trump administration.

The Taliban has threatened to resume those attacks now that the May 1 deadline for a full U.S. withdrawal that was in last year’s agreement has passed.

McConnell also cited criticism of the withdrawal from former secretaries of State Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonMcConnell: Taliban could take over Afghanistan by ‘the end of the year’ Hillary Clinton: There must be a ‘global reckoning’ with disinformation Pelosi’s archbishop calls for Communion to be withheld from public figures supporting abortion rights MORE and Condoleezza Rice.

On CNN on Sunday, Clinton warned of “huge consequences” from the withdrawal.

“It’s not just me saying that,” McConnell said Thursday. “I believe it is a mistake to completely pull out. I think some presence there for counterterrorism and training purposes is an American’s best interest.”

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