Republicans pan botched Afghanistan withdrawal on one-year anniversary

One 12 months after the US’s chaotic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, Home Republicans are slamming President Joe Biden's dealing with of the exit and accusing the White Home of trying to rewrite historical past.

GOP lawmakers marked the anniversary of Kabul falling to the Taliban with a barrage of criticism on Monday, arguing the Biden administration's choice to stay to a self-imposed end-of-August deadline for pulling out troops led to the Taliban’s swift takeover of the nation, endangered allies, and weakened the U.S. standing on the world stage.

GOP lawmakers on the Home International Affairs Committee, led by rating member Michael McCaul (R-TX), launched a report forward of the anniversary accusing the administration of purposefully deceptive the general public and laying out a blueprint for a congressional investigation ought to Republicans win the Home majority in November.

HOUSE GOP REPORT ACCUSES BIDEN OF KNOWINGLY MISLEADING PUBLIC ABOUT AFGHANISTAN EXIT

Amongst its findings, the lawmakers discovered that 800 Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan since Aug. 31, 2021, regardless of Secretary of State Antony Blinken telling lawmakers that there have been solely roughly 100 who wished to depart who remained there.

"The signature failure of this administration is certainly the catastrophic withdrawal and the wholesale abandonment of lots of of People that Joe Biden stranded in Kabul after promising that he wouldn’t,” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) mentioned. “One 12 months later, the lies this White Home advised solely look worse.”

In an effort to preempt the criticisms, the White Home circulated a memo amongst Democrats on Capitol Hill defending itself and alleging that the GOP report is “riddled with inaccurate characterizations, cherry-picked info, and false claims advocates for countless battle and for sending much more American troops to Afghanistan.”

The Biden administration has stood by the best way it pulled troops overseas regardless of enduring bipartisan criticism because the evacuation was happening.

Home Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy (CA) joined the rating Republicans of a number of congressional committees Monday in pushing again on the Biden administration's messaging technique.

“Trying to justify his tumultuous exit, President Joe Biden claimed final 12 months that al-Qaeda was ‘gone’ from Afghanistan. But lower than one 12 months later, the US rightfully killed al-Qaeda’s high chief, Ayman al-Zawahri, throughout a counterterrorism operation in Kabul. Nevertheless, this not solely underscores the extent of the Biden administration’s failures in Afghanistan, however is proof that Afghanistan is as soon as once more changing into a haven for terrorists,” they wrote in a Fox News op-ed.

Republicans emphasised the 13 American troopers killed within the closing days of August, when suicide bombers attacked troops overseeing the chaotic evacuation on the Kabul airport.

"Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan led to chaos and 13 service members useless. In the present day the White Home will try to rewrite historical past. However People will always remember," Elise Stefanik (NY), the Home GOP convention chairwoman, mentioned in a tweet.

Stefanik promised that Home Republicans will scrutinize the withdrawal subsequent 12 months in the event that they take again the Home within the midterm elections.

"Joe Biden's Administration has not been held accountable for one of many largest nationwide safety crises in a era that value the lives of 13 American service members. A Home Republican majority will maintain Biden accountable," she mentioned.

The get together must internet 5 seats to take management of the decrease chamber.