WASHINGTON — The Biden and Trump administrations did not sufficiently plan for “worst-case scenarios” ahead of the U.S. withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan in summer 2021, according to a State Department review released Friday.
The report offered strong criticism of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in the rapid fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the collapse of the Afghan government. The State Department should enhance its crisis planning, clarify its leadership structure during crises, and “ensure that senior officials hear the broadest possible range of views,” according to the report’s recommendations.
The ensuing chaos during the American-led evacuation of Kabul — including a terrorist bombing attack — killed more than 150 Afghan citizens and 13 U.S. service members. The withdrawal also resulted in a hasty evacuation of more than 100,000 American and Afghan citizens, but also abandoned thousands of other Afghan citizens who supported the U.S. government throughout its 20-year war in Afghanistan.
At the time, President Joe Biden and his administration came under intense criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike over his administration’s role in the crisis that ensued following the withdrawal. Voters also took notice as Biden’s approval ratings fell below 50% for the first time after the messy evacuation from Afghanistan.
State Department report on Afghanistan: ‘Unclear’ who had the lead
While U.S. military planning for the possibility of an evacuation operation was in the works for “some time,” the State Department’s ability to participate in that process was “hindered by the fact that it was unclear who in the Department had the lead,” the report found.
The report also highlighted several decisions that further complicated the State Department’s evacuation efforts, such as the move to hand over the Bagram Air Base to the Afghan government. As a result, the Hamid Karzai International Airport became the only option for an evacuation operation.
When the evacuation did occur, “senior administration officials had not made clear decisions” on which Afghan citizens would qualify for evacuation from the country and where they would be taken.
The report also stated that in Washington and at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, officials did not better prepare for worst-case scenarios due to concerns of “signaling a loss of confidence” in the Afghan government.
The report called on the State Department to “insulate worst-case contingency planning and preparations from political concerns.”
“While it may not be possible to prevent information from leaking regarding contingency planning, making such plans routine would eliminate political considerations,” the report stated.
The Biden administration has repeatedly defended its decision to end the war in Afghanistan. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated that position during a briefing on April 6, 2023.
“First, and most critically, the president’s decision to end the war in Afghanistan was the right one,” Kirby said.
But the decision to release the State Department’s report on a Friday afternoon before a long July 4 holiday weekend, suggested that it hoped the report would avoid the media’s spotlight.
Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., wrote in a tweet that “the State Department is trying to bury the scathing after-action report criticizing the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
“If the President is so proud of his withdrawal and ‘airlift’ then why do they keep burying reports before major holiday weekends?” Loudermilk added.
After an address about the Supreme Court’s decision to end his signature debt relief program, Biden defended the withdrawal from Afghanistan by noting that al-Qaeda did not resurface in the country. “I was right,” Biden said before leaving.
