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The Biden administration has spent the past 12 months misleading the American people to avoid accountability for its failed withdrawal in Afghanistan. The administration has stymied Congressional requests for information and continues to deny the American public, especially Afghanistan veterans, much-needed answers about how the withdrawal turned into unrelenting chaos, and ultimately caused the re-emergence of al-Qaeda in the heart of Afghanistan. This failed in leadership and abdicated the responsibilities of the commander in chief.
During those chaotic weeks of last August, the world witnessed horrific images emerging from Kabul. Hundreds of American citizens have been abandoned by their country behind enemy lines, relying on personal communications to help get them out. Billions of dollars worth of military equipment and weapons that the United States has provided to the Afghan government, are now in the possession of the Taliban and other bad actors. The Taliban have brutally beaten and killed innocent civilians. Desperate Afghans clung to leaving the C-17s before they fell to their deaths. The confusion and chaos caused by the Biden administration led to the tragic killing of 13 American soldiers — the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since 2011.
In an attempt to justify his turbulent departure, President Joe Biden claimed last year that al-Qaeda had “gone” from Afghanistan. But less than a year later, the United States rightly killed al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, during a counter-terror operation in Kabul. However, this not only underscores the extent of the Biden administration’s failure in Afghanistan, but is evidence that Afghanistan has once again become a haven for terrorists.
US allies are still waiting to leave Afghanistan one year after the withdrawal
These strategic failures are too dangerous to ignore. This is why House Republicans are committed to seeking answers Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. As part of these efforts, Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee this week will publish a comprehensive report that highlights the disastrous flaws of the Biden disaster in Afghanistan.
Smoke rises from an explosion outside Kabul airport, Afghanistan, Thursday, August 26, 2021. The explosion occurred outside Kabul airport, as thousands of people flocked as they tried to flee Taliban control of Afghanistan. Officials did not say how many casualties, but an eyewitness said several people appeared to have been killed or injured on Thursday. (AP Photo/Wali Sabawoon)
(AP Photo/Wali Sabawoon)
The report details how the Biden administration made decisions based more on politics and panic than sound plan. Furthermore, it will highlight the many shortcomings regarding the withdrawal, including an arbitrary schedule, refusal to respond to advice by military personnel, misleading statements publicly made by administration officials, refusal to secure Kabul, and the lack of a meaningful personnel vetting process. They look forward to leaving Afghanistan, and there is no inventory of US military equipment left behind by the Taliban for their use.
Furthermore, the report raises more key questions that require additional investigation, such as how decisions were made in The White House regarding the timetable for withdrawal, The decision to withdraw troops in front of civilians and diplomats, the absence of appropriate plans to evacuate Americans and our Afghan allies who served alongside the US military, the decision to abandon Bagram Air Base, the loss of Kabul, and this administration’s dealings with the Taliban. .
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To get answers to these important questions, House Republicans sent dozens Letters requesting detailed answers on behalf of the American people. However, the Biden administration continues to ignore these requests. The administration refuses to provide Congress with adequate answers about why officials misled Congress and the American people about the dire situation in Afghanistan in the months leading up to and during the withdrawal, and why the administration took so few steps to evacuate Americans and the marginalized. Afghan allies who led to Taliban control. The Biden administration also owes answers about why certain decisions were made, such as outsourcing Kabul’s security to the Taliban at the expense of Americans’ safety.
The discrepancies in the management’s comments are too stark to ignore. We cannot allow partisan actors to continue to politicize our institutions through concealment of information and manipulation of facts, especially when it comes to important national security decisions. We must restore trust with our citizens and our allies by bringing transparency into the grave mistakes that led to the terrible withdrawal. House Republicans, if given the opportunity to hold a majority in the next Congress, would demand answers, hold open hearings, and ultimately provide the American people the transparency they deserve.
After 20 years of war, Americans – especially our service members – deserve to have a sound plan for reducing our military presence in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, rather than developing a coherent strategy that would protect Americans and prevent a resurgence of al-Qaeda, the Biden administration’s incompetent withdrawal a year ago was disgraceful, disastrous, and fatal. House Republicans will hold the Biden administration accountable on behalf of the American people, and we will honor the sacrifices made by so many American families during the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan.
Republican Representative Michael McCaul represents the 10th Congressional District of Texas and is a prominent member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Republican Representative Mike Rogers represents Alabama’s third congressional district. He is a prominent member of the House Homeland Security Committee and a member of the Armed Forces Committee.
Republican Mike Turner represents Ohio’s 10th congressional district. He is a prominent member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Republican James Comer represents Kentucky’s 1st congressional district, where he serves as a senior member of the Oversight and Reform Committee.
Click here to read more from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
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