House Oversight Committee holds hearing on U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nearly two years since the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, there are growing concerns that terrorists could use the country to coordinate attacks.

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Members of congress have been pointing their fingers at each other, each blaming the other party’s policies for the mess after U.S. troops left Afghanistan.

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However, watchdogs of the military and federal government say it was a bipartisan failure.

The mistakes of the Afghanistan war spanned over four presidential administrations.

That includes the tumultuous withdrawal almost two summers ago when the world watched as the Taliban quickly regained control of the country.

Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko testified before a House Oversight Committee hearing on the withdrawal. He told members of Congress the failure was years in the making.

“From ignoring rampant corruption and the lack of a consistent U.S. strategy…the seeds of August 2021′s drama were sown many years before,” Sopko testified.

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Members of Congress are exploring what went wrong and why, weighing testimony from the watchdogs of the Defense Department, State Department, and more.

Republicans blame the Biden administration for the chaotic withdrawal.

“In August 2021, Joe Biden lost that war,” Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer said during the hearing. “There was no exit with dignity. It was a panic, and 13 American service members were murdered by a suicide bomber.”

Meanwhile, Democrats point to policies under former President Donald Trump. A recent report from the Biden administration blamed his predecessor for a lack of planning.

“My Republican Colleagues refuse to examine the elephant on the battlefield,” Maryland Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin said. “...President Trump’s disastrous decision to cut out the Afghan government and negotiate directly with the Taliban.”

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Government watchdogs have highlighted department-wide failures, including the government’s inability to keep track of military equipment and property.

The Biden administration has defended its decision to withdraw completely from Afghanistan in August 2021, saying it was time to end the nearly 20-year war.

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