House Republicans have issued a blistering report on the Biden administration’s handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, laying the blame for the chaotic and deadly end of America’s longest war squarely on President Joe Biden. The report, released on Sunday, criticizes the administration’s execution of the withdrawal, accusing it of mismanagement, poor planning, and abandoning both American allies and U.S. military equipment.
The GOP-led investigation downplays the role of former President Donald Trump, who signed the original withdrawal agreement with the Taliban in 2020. The report instead focuses on what Republicans describe as a failure by the Biden administration to adjust strategy when the situation on the ground deteriorated. It highlights the swift collapse of the Afghan government, the deadly suicide bombing at Kabul airport that killed 13 U.S. service members, and the mass evacuation that left thousands of Afghan allies behind as key failures in Biden’s leadership.
House Republicans argue that the Biden administration did not adequately prepare for the rapid Taliban takeover and ignored warnings from military officials, leading to a humanitarian crisis. The report comes as Republicans seek to hold the administration accountable for what they call a “disastrous” exit that damaged U.S. credibility abroad.
In response, the Biden administration has repeatedly defended its handling of the withdrawal, pointing out that the agreement to leave Afghanistan was initially brokered under Trump. Officials have argued that the chaotic nature of the withdrawal was unavoidable after 20 years of war and that Biden made the tough decision to end the conflict.
The report is expected to fuel ongoing political debate over the legacy of the Afghanistan war and the future of U.S. foreign policy, with both parties continuing to shift blame over the contentious exit.
