but within 48 hos, our tops restored order. ey aur commanders exceeded al expectatns. they evacuated more than 124,000. t was a logiscal success but atrategic failure. we absolutelyissed the rapid 11-day collap of the afghan mitary a the collapse of the government. we helped build a state, mr. chairman, but we could not forge a nation. general milley added that had u.s. forces not left by the august 31st deadline, war with thtaliban would have been inevitable. milley also took time during his opening remarks to address reports about his actions during the final months of the trump presidency which were, of course, detailed in this new book, peril by bob woodward and bob cost at a. the house call with speaker nancy pelosi two days after the january 6th capitol riot, he defended his calls to a chinese