Page:CTRL0000034609 - Transcribed Interview of Kashyap Pramod Patel, (December 9, 2021).pdf/94

94 opinions, adjudications, and all that in these campaign plans and memorandums from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I haven't seen those in forever, and they're also classified.

Mr. Glabe. Can we pause for just a second?

[Discussion off the record.]

The Witness. So—and to clarify, and pointedly to your question, I'm not saying the memo you're referencing ever did or did not exist. I'm saying I don't recall ever seeing it.


 * BY :

Okay. So, moving off whether you saw it or not, do you recall an incident where a—it was mentioned to General Milley that there was an order from the White House, whether it's a piece of paper or not, to withdraw from Somalia and to withdraw from Afghanistan before January 15th, and the surprise of General Milley then asking you and Secretary Miller to go to the Oval White House to ask President Trump about said order, directive, piece of paper? Does that jog any memory you have?

—The only memory it jogs that I have is that we had extensive discussions with General Milley, the Secretary of the—the Acting Secretary of Defense, and the President about the withdrawal process in general.

So you don't recall any directive coming from the White House that had not been vetted by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or by the Secretary of Defense or by Robert O'Brien?

[Discussion off the record.]

Right. Right. Okay. Thanks. What I do recall is that my former boss, Ambassador Robert O'Brien, the National Security Advisor, the Chairman, and the Acting Secretary of Defense had a conversation regarding, I don't know if it was this memo or not, but about an un—or improper procedure. I was not—I don't recall being privy to