The State Department has defended its actions during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, rejecting allegations in a Republican-led report that it failed to plan adequately.
The State Department has rebuked a report by House Foreign Affairs Republicans that criticized the department's handling of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. The department's statement accused Republicans of "partisan statements, cherry-picked facts, withheld testimonies from the American people, and obfuscated the truth behind conjecture."
The 350-page report, led by Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas), disputed President Biden's claim that the Doha agreement with the Taliban required the U.S. to withdraw by the summer of 2021. It also faulted the State Department for a lack of planning to evacuate Americans and allies.
Afghanistan Withdrawal Probe: State Department Rejects GOP Report Allegations
However, the State Department maintained that it had a noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO) plan and had repeatedly warned Americans to leave Afghanistan. The department claimed that it began the NEO on August 14, as the Taliban approached Kabul, and that it had evacuated "almost all" Americans by August 31.
The State Department also sought to justify its decision to keep the embassy in Kabul open after the evacuation, arguing that it planned to continue diplomatic and development activities there. The embassy was ultimately closed on August 31, 2021, and has not reopened.
Afghanistan Withdrawal Probe: State Department Rejects GOP Report Allegations
The State Department acknowledged that it did not anticipate the swift collapse of the Afghan government, but said that even the most pessimistic assessments did not predict it would happen while U.S. forces remained. The department also noted that the special immigrant visa (SIV) program had a backlog of 14,000 when President Biden took office in January 2021.
McCaul's report found that the State Department had ignored warnings about the Taliban takeover and had failed to reduce its presence in the region. The report also accused the department of leaving 1,000 Americans behind.
Afghanistan Withdrawal Probe: State Department Rejects GOP Report Allegations
The State Department defended its decision to keep the embassy in Kabul, saying that it planned to continue diplomatic and development activities there. The embassy was ultimately closed on August 31, 2021, and has not reopened.
The State Department acknowledged that it did not anticipate the swift collapse of the Afghan government, but said that even the most pessimistic assessments did not predict it would happen while U.S. forces remained. The department also noted that the special immigrant visa (SIV) program had a backlog of 14,000 when President Biden took office in January 2021.
Afghanistan Withdrawal Probe: State Department Rejects GOP Report Allegations
McCaul's report found that the State Department had ignored warnings about the Taliban takeover and had failed to reduce its presence in the region. The report also accused the department of leaving 1,000 Americans behind.
