- GOP report blames Biden for the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal.
- Accuses delays and poor handling of evacuations.
- Release coincides with Trump’s election criticism.
House Republicans will release a report on Monday criticizing President Joe Biden’s administration for the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021. The report, spearheaded by Rep. Michael McCaul, alleges that officials delayed evacuation orders, failed in interdepartmental communication, and mishandled paperwork for Afghan civilians eligible for evacuation.
On Monday, House Republicans will unveil a report sharply criticizing President Joe Biden’s administration for its handling of the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal in August 2021. The report, led by Rep. Michael McCaul, claims that the administration’s evacuation order came too late, on August 16, and that there were significant failures in interdepartmental communication and in managing paperwork for Afghan civilians.
The investigation, which spanned three years, describes the withdrawal as damaging to America’s global credibility and a stain on the administration’s legacy, particularly in how Afghan allies were left vulnerable to Taliban reprisals. The report also addresses the impact on U.S. veterans and service members.
The timing of the report is significant, as it comes just ahead of the November 5 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump has used the Afghanistan exit as a campaign issue, criticizing Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and blaming them for the deaths of 13 Americans in a suicide attack at Kabul airport on August 26, 2021.
Trump’s criticisms have intensified political debates, with some Democrats arguing that Trump’s deal with the Taliban, which began the withdrawal process, also bears responsibility for the chaotic end to the war. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that Trump had reduced U.S. troops from 14,000 to 2,500 before leaving office.
Republican aides have dismissed these arguments as partisan attempts to shift blame, asserting that Biden had the option to either ignore or enforce Trump’s agreement but failed to manage the situation effectively.
Biden’s presidency has been criticized for allowing the Taliban to flout its commitments.
Following the 9/11 attacks, which were orchestrated by al Qaeda based in Afghanistan, around 800,000 U.S. service members were deployed to the country. The war resulted in the deaths of 2,238 American servicemembers and injuries to nearly 21,000 others. Estimates indicate that over 100,000 Afghan security forces and civilians also lost their lives.
Rep. Michael McCaul has issued three subpoenas to Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal, with the most recent one last week, demanding his in-person testimony.
