Republicans on the House Oversight Committee are ramping up their investigation into the turbulent withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in 2021, with the panel sending letters to senior administration officials on Friday demanding information pertaining to their decision-making.
The exit from Afghanistan drew bipartisan criticism after thousands of Americans and Afghan allies were left in the country and 13 service members were killed in August 2021. Republicans have pledged to make oversight of how the administration handled the withdrawal a top priority in the 118th Congress.
The GOP lawmakers, led by Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY), called on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, White House National Security Affairs Director Jake Sullivan, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, and U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power to provide a slew of documents and communications related to the chaotic exit from the country.
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Administration officials have previously stated that the swift fall of the Afghan government took place sooner than expected after U.S. troops were removed from the region.
Comer alleged that Democrats did not do a thorough enough job of looking into the missteps and accused the administration of intentionally failing to provide key information.
“The Biden Administration was tragically unprepared for the Afghanistan withdrawal and their decisions in the region directly resulted in a national security and humanitarian catastrophe,” he said in a statement. “U.S. servicemen and women lost their lives, Americans were abandoned, taxpayer dollars are unaccounted for, the Taliban gained access to military equipment, progress for Afghan women was derailed, and the entire area is now under hostile Taliban control.”
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“The American people deserve answers and the Biden Administration’s ongoing obstruction of this investigation is unacceptable,” Comer continued. “With the power of the gavel, Oversight Republicans are determined to provide answers, transparency, and accountability. Every relevant department and agency should be prepared to cooperate and provide all requested information. The American people expect nothing less.”
