House Republicans are set to release a report on Monday sharply criticizing the Biden administration for its handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. The report, the product of a three-year investigation led by Representative Michael McCaul, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, faults the administration for delays in evacuating civilians and a lack of coordination between government agencies during the withdrawal.
According to the report, the administration did not order the evacuation of noncombatants until August 16, when the Taliban had already taken control of the country. It also points to failures in communication within Washington and on the ground in Afghanistan, as well as mishandling paperwork for Afghan civilians eligible to leave. The document argues that these failures contributed to the chaotic evacuation that led to the deaths of 13 American service members and more than 100 Afghans in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate on August 26, 2021.
“America’s credibility on the world stage was severely damaged after we abandoned Afghan allies to Taliban reprisal killings,” the report states. “And the moral injury to America’s veterans and those still serving remains a stain on this administration’s legacy.”
The report comes as the withdrawal has become a major political issue in the run-up to the November 2024 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, has repeatedly blamed President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for the chaotic exit. Trump, who signed an agreement with the Taliban in 2020 to withdraw U.S. forces, recently filmed a campaign video at Arlington National Cemetery, criticizing the administration for the loss of life during the evacuation.
Democrats have pushed back, pointing to Trump’s role in setting the stage for the withdrawal. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, noted that Trump reduced U.S. troop levels to 2,500 before leaving office, arguing that the transition to Biden left few options. Republicans, however, dismissed this as partisan rhetoric, asserting that Biden could have renegotiated or reversed Trump’s deal.
The withdrawal marked the end of a two-decade U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, during which over 800,000 U.S. service members were deployed. More than 2,200 U.S. troops died, and nearly 21,000 were wounded. Independent estimates suggest that more than 100,000 Afghan civilians and security forces were killed over the course of the war.
McCaul has subpoenaed Secretary of State Antony Blinken multiple times as part of the investigation and recently called for Blinken to testify in person regarding the administration’s actions.
