US lawmakers investigate causes of chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan

2023-04-21 17:31:30, Kosova & Bota CNA

A report by President Biden's administration concluded that the chaotic withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan in August 2021 was largely the result of decisions made by former President Trump's administration. VOA Correspondent Katherine Gypson spoke with members of the House Foreign Relations Committee about the steps they intend to take next.

More than a year and a half since the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, a new report from the administration of President Biden concludes that the decisions made by former President Donald Trump created the conditions for the failure of the United States.

"The last administration committed not only to the removal of all US forces, but also to the release of thousands, tens of thousands of fighters from prison, as well as deadlines, which were left to the Biden administration. The president did everything possible to keep the situation under control ," said Democratic Legislator David Cicilline.

But Republican lawmakers say President Biden is ultimately responsible as head of government. Lawmaker Chris Smith told VOA he has been angered by the lack of accountability...

"I don't believe that the administration passed the blame to Trump. As you know, he had accompanied it with conditions, as to when, or if, our forces would leave Afghanistan, and this is the key, this is the essence of everything, that there were conditions. "Biden had no conditions, he announced in advance that he wanted a September 11-type image ," says Republican Legislator Chris Smith.

The Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations of the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, told the Voice of America that the administration of President Biden continues to not hand over the communications during which there were opposing opinions from the American embassy in Kabul.

"Congress has the right to know the content, and this is all we have asked from the Secretary (of State). Let them retouch the names; we will familiarize ourselves with the documents in a classified information environment. But I want to see their content. I don't want to get it filtered by your employees ," says Mayor McCaul.

Government officials told lawmakers this week that blame can be found in both administrations, starting with the fallout from the 2020 Doha accord negotiated by former President Trump.

"These decisions dramatically degraded the morale of the Afghan security forces and created a total combat dependence of the Afghan military on US contractors and forces, leaving the Afghan military unable to conduct operations," said John Sopko, Inspector General . for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Likewise, in terms of planning by the State Department...

"We concluded that the embassy leaders, implementing the decision made at the time by the administration, acted with the understanding that diplomatic operations would continue in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of military forces and did not want to openly engage in evacuation planning, due to concerns that it could incite panic and undermine support for the Afghan government ," Acting Inspector General Diana Shaw said.

Lawmaker McCaul says Congress will continue investigations into the August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at the Kabul airport.

"Who was the commander who did not give permission to hit the perpetrator of the suicide attack, which resulted in the death of 13 military men and women?" , said Chairman McCaul.

The bomb attack also killed 170 Afghan civilians./ VOA