Pentagon’s top policy chief to resign this summer: Austin

The top policy chief at the Pentagon will step down this summer, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on Wednesday.

Colin Kahl, the undersecretary of Defense for Policy, has announced that he will resign in mid-July.
Multiple Biden administration officials have stepped down or announced their plans to do so in recent weeks as the US president gears up for his reelection bid.

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Kahl was grilled by Republican lawmakers two years ago during his confirmation hearings over past social media posts where he called the Republican Party “the party of ethnic cleansing.” Kahl was also a critic of US arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

During his hearings, Kahl apologized and was barely confirmed with zero Republican votes.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz tweeted an article about Kahl’s resignation and wrote: “This is a good day for America.”

“Since his appointment, Dr. Kahl has been a trusted adviser and a resolute leader in our mission to safeguard American interests, both inside the Pentagon and across the interagency,” Austin said in a statement on Wednesday.

Austin praised Kahl’s “strategic insights, deep understanding of international relations, and staunch commitment to strengthening our national defense” as crucial to tackling global challenges.

Austin also commended Kahl’s efforts on the National Defense Strategy, “focusing on the pacing challenge of the People’s Republic of China, the acute threat of Russian aggression, and other dangers.”

Kahl was a crucial part of the US policy on Ukraine following the Russian invasion in 2022.

Media reports suggested Kahl could return to the Biden administration if elected for a second term. He previously served in the Obama administration.

Read more: Pentagon dubs Ukraine’s Kherson operation a ‘counteroffensive,’ lauds progress