Afghan army collapse 'took us all by surprise,' U.S. defense secretary says

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Marines honor their fallen service members killed in action during a ramp ceremony at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan August 27, 2021. Picture taken August 27, 2021. U.S. Central Command/Handout via REUTERS

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Congress on Tuesday that the Afghan army's sudden collapse caught the Pentagon "by surprise," as military leaders confronted a contentious Senate hearing about how and why America lost its longest war.

Republican lawmakers accused President Joe Biden of lying about recommendations from his military that some troops should be kept in Afghanistan. Even Biden's Democrats expressed frustration with a chaotic withdrawal that left U.S. troops dead and American citizens behind.