McCaul Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal Report, Blasts Democrats for Politicization

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the findings of his panel's scathing 350-page report on the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021, rejecting Democrats' accusations that the investigation was politically motivated.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has fired back at Democrats who have suggested that his panel's investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal was politically motivated, calling the probe "not a political exercise."

The State Department has released a statement defending its handling of the withdrawal, but McCaul's report disputes the Biden administration's claim that its hands were tied by the Doha agreement with the Taliban.

McCaul Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal Report, Blasts Democrats for Politicization

The report lays much of the blame on a lack of planning by the State Department to evacuate Americans and allies while there were still troops to protect them.

The State Department claims it had no idea the Taliban takeover would be so swift, despite warnings from military officials.

McCaul Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal Report, Blasts Democrats for Politicization

McCaul's investigation found that the State Department had been warned repeatedly about the Taliban takeover but refused to draw down its presence in the region.

The department said it had been recommending Americans living in Afghanistan leave since March of that year.

McCaul Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal Report, Blasts Democrats for Politicization

Despite these efforts, nearly 6,000 Americans remained as Kabul fell, prompting an evacuation effort of "unprecedented scope and scale."

McCaul contends that the State Department left some 1,000 Americans in Afghanistan, but the department said it evacuated "almost all" Americans by Aug. 31.

McCaul Defends Afghanistan Withdrawal Report, Blasts Democrats for Politicization

The State Department acknowledged that the SIV program to offer visas to foreign nationals who assist U.S. missions abroad had a backlog of 14,000 when President Biden took office in January 2021.

McCaul's report has drawn criticism from Democrats, who have accused him of cherry-picking facts and withholding testimonies from the American people.

The State Department has accused Republicans of using the department and its workforce to further partisan agendas.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has celebrated the anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal, marking the victory of the Islamist militant group.

The U.S. failure in Taliban intelligence has opened up Afghanistan to China and Russia, raising concerns about the country becoming a breeding ground for extremism once again.