Biden Admin Finally Offers Explanation for Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal: It Was Trump’s Fault
The botched removal of American troops from Afghanistan has finally received an explanation from President Joe Biden’s administration. The president’s team released a report blaming Donald Trump for the quick overtake of the country by the Taliban.
White House spokesman John Kirby stated that Trump’s decisions affected the withdrawal process, as well as the visa program, which was “starved” under the previous administration. Kirby mentioned that the Biden administration asked to see the withdrawal plans during the transition but received nothing from Trump.
The Biden administration did acknowledge in the report that evacuations should have begun earlier. However, Kirby mentioned that “not everything” was perfect, adding they were “proud” of many elements of the botched withdrawal.
The evacuation ended in August 2021, with the Biden administration leaving close to $7.2 billion worth of military equipment in the hands of the Taliban. As a result, 13 U.S. servicemembers died in an evacuation airport suicide attack. The House Republicans have begun investigating the withdrawal and Afghanistan’s fall, issuing Secretary of State Antony Blinken a subpoena in late March.
When asked repeatedly by the press about accountability for the failed missions, Kirby stated that the report didn’t focus on “accountability” but aimed to convey information about the exit.
The administration said it learned from the Kabul fall and used the lessons in Ethiopia and Ukraine. It now prioritizes earlier evacuations when faced with a reduced security situation.
A reporter criticized the White House for releasing the report just before a holiday, to which Kirby responded that intelligence is a challenging business, and that they get it right many times.
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