House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul on Wednesday condemned the Biden administration for what he described as one of the worst foreign policy failures in U.S. history—its handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
McCaul’s remarks came in support of his resolution, H. Res. 1469, which seeks to hold key Biden-Harris officials accountable for the chaotic and deadly evacuation in August 2021.
McCaul’s resolution names 15 officials, including President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, accusing them of “dereliction of duty.” McCaul pointed to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghan civilians in a suicide bombing during the withdrawal as a direct result of the administration’s failure to prepare for the Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan.
“Three years ago, the world witnessed one of the most devastating foreign policy disasters in American history,” McCaul said. “The Biden-Harris administration withdrew all U.S. forces from Afghanistan with no plan, no care, and no remorse.”
McCaul criticized National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby’s recent remarks that the administration had “held ourselves accountable” for the withdrawal, calling the statement “detached from reality.” He also slammed the administration for promoting officials involved in the withdrawal rather than holding them accountable.
Ignoring warnings
McCaul argued that the administration ignored multiple warnings from military, intelligence, and NATO officials regarding the potential consequences of a rushed withdrawal. He accused the Biden administration of prioritizing political optics over the safety of U.S. personnel and allies on the ground.
“The administration denied threats to American interests, American citizens, and our decades-long Afghan partners,” McCaul said. He also criticized the decision to rely on the Taliban for security during the evacuation, claiming it allowed an ISIS-K terrorist to pass through a Taliban checkpoint and carry out the deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport.
Calls for accountability
McCaul emphasized that Congress must step in to ensure accountability. He highlighted a 353-page report produced by the House Foreign Affairs Committee detailing the administration’s failures during the withdrawal. McCaul urged his colleagues to support the resolution, which he called the “first step in fixing the problem.”
“The American people, U.S. servicemembers, veterans, and most importantly, the Gold Star families deserve transparency and accountability,” McCaul said.
The resolution lists top officials, including President Biden, Vice President Harris, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, among those responsible for what McCaul termed a “disaster.”
McCaul’s resolution is the latest move in Congress’s ongoing investigation into the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has sparked widespread criticism and left a lasting mark on the Biden administration’s foreign policy legacy.
