KEY POINTS
- US Defence Secretary announces a review of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
- Trump blames Biden for abandoning billions in military equipment in Afghanistan.
- Hurried withdrawal has revived terrorist organisations in Afghanistan.
- Stronger counter-terrorism cooperation needed to counter the menace.
WASHINGTON: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the Pentagon is conducting a “complete review” of what he described as the Biden administration’s mismanaged withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, vowing that those accountable for the operation’s failures will face consequences.
In an interview with the Washington Examiner, ahead of President Donald Trump’s first full Cabinet meeting, Hegseth emphasised that scrutinising the withdrawal was among his top priorities upon assuming his role at the Pentagon.
“We are undertaking a comprehensive analysis of every facet of the flawed withdrawal from Afghanistan, with a commitment to full accountability,” Hegseth said.
“This was one of our initial announcements at the Defence Department for that very reason, sir.”
He also noted that General “Razin” Caine, the newly appointed military leader, was not part of the withdrawal process. Instead, he focused on spearheading operations against ISIS, ensuring that US forces could complete their missions effectively and safely bring troops home.
“We are clearly adopting a markedly different stance from the previous administration, and we will ensure full accountability,” Hegseth added.
During the Cabinet meeting, President Trump reiterated his criticism of the Biden administration’s approach to the Afghanistan withdrawal, attributing the situation to the abandonment of vast amounts of US military equipment in territory now controlled by the Taliban.
“Biden left billions—tens of billions of dollars—of US military equipment in Afghanistan,” Trump stated.
Trump said that the US should have maintained control over the Bagram Air Base, a significant airfield located in Afghanistan’s Parwan Province.
“We abandoned tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment, including pristine trucks. Every year, you see them parading around, showcasing their spoils, waving flags and boasting about America… and it’s all top-tier gear,” he noted. “I believe we should retrieve a considerable portion of that equipment.”
“Can you fathom it? They are peddling 777,000 rifles, along with 70,000 armoured trucks and vehicles… We left behind 70,000 vehicles. I think we should reclaim them,” he exclaimed.
The United States concluded its two-decade military involvement in Afghanistan in August 2021, culminating in a tumultuous evacuation that saw Kabul fall to the Taliban and resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members due to a suicide bombing at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Revival of terrorist organisations in Afghanistan
Hegseth emphasised that the Pentagon’s review seeks to thoroughly investigate the errors made during the withdrawal and ensure that such failures are never repeated.
Commenting on the US Defence Secretary’s announcement, Syed Muhammad Ali, an Islamabad-based security analyst, said, “The US Secretary of Defence’s announcement reinforces concerns expressed earlier by Director of US National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, that a hurried and unplanned US military exit from Afghanistan was a blunder, which has caused the revival of several global and regional terrorist organisations within Afghanistan.”
Ali added that “Pakistan has also repeatedly expressed concern at the growing terrorist attacks on Pakistan from Afghanistan, which frequently rely on advanced weaponry left by Western forces in Afghanistan.”
He said “This offers an opportunity for the US and Pakistan to improve their security, counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation during the Trump administration, as Afghanistan has again become a threat to international peace and security. The situation requires a well-considered and cooperative international response to decisively address the growing threat of terrorism.”
Speaking to WE News English, Lt. General Abdul Qayyum, former Chairman of Pakistan Senate’s Defence Committee and a defence analyst, emphasised that while the US may investigate its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, it should also examine the reasons for its initial entry into the country and the motives that drove that decision.
“American weaponry is now being wielded against the citizens of Pakistan, and it’s imperative for the US to investigate the manner in which they hastily retreated from Kabul,” he maintained.
Ambassador Asif Durrani remarked: “Let them [the US] initiate the action first.”
Afghan Taliban funding terrorist activities in Pakistan
A recent report submitted to the UN Security Council by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team revealed that the Afghan Taliban continue to provide logistical support, operational space, and financial assistance to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), contributing to a rise in terrorist attacks in neighbouring Pakistan.
ALSO READ: Afghan Taliban Funding, Supporting TTP’s Terrorist Activities in Pakistan: UN Report
The report stated that the status and strength of TTP in Afghanistan remain unchanged, while its attacks on Pakistan have significantly increased.
The report states: “The status and strength of TTP in Afghanistan had not changed,” while the terror group intensified its assaults on Pakistan.
More than 600 attacks were recorded in 2024, including cross-border assaults launched from Afghan territory.
The report, covering the period from 1 July to 13 December 2024, stated that the Afghan Taliban provide the banned terror group’s leader, Noor Wali Masoud, with a monthly payment of 3 million Afghanis (approximately $43,000).
According to the US Defence Department report, from 2005 until the US withdrawal in August 2021, the US supplied $18.6 billion in equipment to the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces.
During the pullout, an estimated $7 billion worth of equipment remained, comprising aircraft, munitions, vehicles, weapons, and communication systems.
