According to a recently released State Department review, both the Biden and Trump administrations failed to adequately plan for worst-case scenarios during the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021.
The report strongly criticized the military withdrawal, which resulted in the swift takeover of Kabul by the Taliban and the collapse of the Afghan government.
It recommended that the State Department improve its crisis planning, clarify leadership structures during crises, and ensure a diversity of perspectives are considered by senior officials.
The chaotic evacuation of Kabul, including a terrorist bombing, resulted in the deaths of over 150 Afghan citizens and 13 U.S. service members.
While more than 100,000 American and Afghan citizens were evacuated, thousands of other Afghan citizens who had supported the U.S. government were left behind.
President Biden faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats over his administration's handling of the crisis, leading to a decline in his approval ratings.
The report revealed that the State Department's participation in evacuation planning was hindered by unclear leadership. It also highlighted decisions, such as handing over the Bagram Air Base, which complicated the evacuation efforts.
The report noted that worst-case scenarios were not adequately prepared for due to concerns about undermining confidence in the Afghan government.
The State Department was urged to insulate contingency planning from political considerations and make such plans routine.
The Biden administration has defended its decision to end the war in Afghanistan, but the timing of the report's release on a Friday afternoon before a long holiday weekend raised concerns of avoiding media attention.
Representative Barry Loudermilk criticized the State Department for attempting to bury the report.
During an address on the Supreme Court's decision regarding debt relief, President Biden defended the withdrawal by emphasizing that al-Qaeda had not resurfaced in Afghanistan.
