Pentagon to review US withdrawal from Afghanistan
Pete Hegseth's senior adviser to convene special review panel to 'thoroughly' examine previous investigations
WASHINGTON
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ordered a detailed review of the 2021 US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to a memo made public Tuesday.
"Over the last three months, the (Defense) Department has been engaged in a review of this catastrophic event in our military's history.
"I have concluded that we need to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure that accountability for this event is met and that the complete picture is provided to the American people," Hegseth wrote in the memo dated May 2.
Hegseth said he directed his senior adviser, Sean Parnell, to convene a Special Review Panel (SRP) for the Department that will "thoroughly" examine previous investigations, findings of fact, sources, witnesses and analyze the decision making.
"This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great Nation," he added.
A suicide bomb on Aug. 26, 2021, claimed by the Daesh/ISIS terror group at Kabul's international airport killed 13 American troops and 170 Afghan civilians.
The US presence in Afghanistan, which began in October 2001, came to an end after 20 years with the withdrawal of American troops in 2021. The Biden administration is blamed by Republican lawmakers for the “failed” withdrawal and the chaos at the airport.
The US withdrawal was marred by the collapse of the internationally recognized Afghan government, which was quickly overrun by Taliban forces as international forces left the country.
