After White House backlash, House Foreign Affairs Republicans justified their report slamming the Biden presidency for the bungled U.S. military pullout from Afghanistan.
Biden’s big hurry for the withdrawal last year finished with a messy rescue operation and the Taliban regaining power.
A new House GOP report argues Biden’s decisions led to horrific yet preventable results: 13 dead servicemen and women, American lives now at significant risk, enhanced threats to our national security, besmirched standing oversea for years to come, and invigorated foes across the globe.
Adrienne Watson, NSC spokeswoman, quickly attacked the GOP allegations.
Pushing Blame and False Statements
The White House said the report ignores the repercussions of the disastrous bargain previous President Trump signed with the Taliban.
Joe Biden lied.https://t.co/FbshXnn9i0
— GOP (@GOP) August 19, 2022
GOP Rep. Michael McCaul, the leading member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claimed utilizing the faulty Taliban deal to absolve Biden was “hypocritical.”
McCaul noted Biden claimed he would have withdrawn all soldiers regardless of the Doha agreement; the Doha deal wasn’t flawless, but it didn’t force this withdrawal.
Biden claimed when Kabul fell, he would have really tried to evacuate those soldiers even without the Taliban agreement.
The White House paper contended the agreement boosted the Taliban and hamstrung Biden. Biden said he inherited a diplomatic arrangement in need of renegotiation to withdraw U.S. personnel in April 2021.
Biden’s failed withdrawal put the Taliban back in charge. It breaks my heart that girls in Afghanistan can’t go to school and women can’t work because of their takeover. pic.twitter.com/9oN9vCXuJF
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) August 19, 2022
The GOP report stated the deal “was based on Taliban requirements that were not reached” and cited the provision that the Taliban would not allow any of its individuals, other persons or groups, including al-Qaeda, to use Afghan soil to harm U.S. and allied security.
Republicans stated the Taliban’s failure to adhere to the deal negated the U.S. withdrawal obligation.
While the Taliban didn’t assault U.S. forces, it didn’t meet other agreements, Gen. Mark Milley stated in 2021.
The White House letter said the withdrawal “reinforced our national security” and “placed the U.S. in a stronger position to lead the world.”
ISIS-K was involved in the late August 2021 bomb attack at the Kabul airport, which brutally murdered 13 U.S. servicemembers and at least 170 Afghan civilians.
After Kabul fell, Biden stated, “If there are American people left, we’ll get them out.” Biden administration officials said 100 Americans were left behind.
Consulate Offices
More than 1,000 people have been rescued since August 31, 2021, McCaul’s office reported. Green card holders and Afghan allies remained behind.
The GOP report said there were 15 consular officers at Kabul airport at the start of the Afghan evacuation and 36 at its peak. The report found “this hindered the U.S. government’s ability to process people rapidly.”
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Monday there were “enough consular officials on the ground.”
Brig. Gen. John Sullivan told authorities there weren’t enough consulate officers to process everyone. U.S. Central Command’s after-action report claimed consular employees lacked the manpower to supervise all gate processing.
McCaul told Washington Examiner that the State Department disregarded or refused every request for withdrawal information.
This article appeared in NewsHouse and has been published here with permission.
