WASHINGTON, USA: US Republicans released a report on Sunday criticizing President Joe Biden’s handling of the 2021 withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.
The report comes just months before the 2024 presidential election, rekindling debates over America’s longest war. It blames Biden for the chaotic withdrawal that resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members in a Kabul airport suicide bombing and the Taliban’s rapid retaking of the Afghan capital.
The withdrawal followed the 2020 Doha Agreement, negotiated by former President Donald Trump, which outlined a US exit but did not include the Afghan government. The Republican report claims Biden ignored the deteriorating security situation and the advice of senior national security advisors by pushing ahead with the withdrawal, undermining America’s global credibility.
It argues that the Taliban’s return to power has damaged US standing and increased homeland security threats.
The White House dismissed the report as biased, with spokesperson Sharon Yang criticizing it for relying on “cherry-picked facts” and arguing that Biden inherited a difficult situation due to Trump’s agreement with the Taliban. Democrats also challenged the report’s timing, suggesting it was politically motivated ahead of the election.
This Republican report coincides with Trump’s recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery, where he interacted with families of service members killed in Afghanistan, adding further political tension to the issue. The debate over the Afghanistan withdrawal continues to divide American politics, with both parties blaming each other for the chaotic end to the war.
