A Lack of Accountability

Last Thursday, the White House released a long awaited 12-page report on the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. The after-action review places significant blame on former President Trump and claims that President Biden was “severely constrained” by the conditions created by his predecessor. Although the moments leading up to this report promised answers, the reality is that Americans are left with an Administration that refuses to accept accountability for their botched withdrawal, which left thirteen American servicemembers dead. 

National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, claimed the purpose of the report is not accountability, but rather “to study lesson learned.” Sadly, this report falls very short of providing lessons learned. There are still lingering questions, including why American citizens and allies were left behind. We also need further clarity on the timeline of events, why Bagram Air Base was abandoned, and if there were any intelligence failures. Furthermore, Biden should lay out specifically why he ignored the advice of top-ranking military officials, including General McKenzie. I am deeply disappointed in the political actions of this Administration, and believe the American people deserve to have a full accounting of Biden’s decision-making process.  

It is now up to the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives to provide accountability and push for answers that have been swept under the rug. In a recent back and forth in the House Armed Services Committee, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was asked if anyone in the Pentagon’s chain of command was ever held responsible for the disastrous collapse of the war effort. Austin responded, “To my knowledge, no.” He further went on to state that he has no regrets for the decisions made amid the withdrawal.  

When it comes to national security, our nation is less secure under Biden’s watch. We have seen the CCP fly spy balloons over our sovereign territory, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and numerous other foreign policy disasters. The Administration’s weakness on the foreign stage has led us to this point. Without proper government oversight, this pattern will only continue. Despite the release of the after-action reports, it is painfully clear that we are still left with an enormous lack of full transparency and an injustice to Americans.