Pete Hegseth orders investigation into 'catastrophic' withdrawal from Afghanistan under Biden

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered a review of the “catastrophic” Afghanistan withdrawal under the Biden administration, during which 13 U.S. service members were killed in a terror bombing.

Critics have accused President Joe Biden of mishandling the withdrawal so egregiously that it allowed the suicide bomber to take more than a dozen U.S. lives, as well as those of 170 Afghans, in August 2021. The bomber struck the Abbey Gate at the the Kabul International Airport.

‘The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and to the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get to the facts.’

On Tuesday, Hegseth said a review of the incident was necessary to assure that those responsible for the deaths of service members were taken to task.

“President Trump and I have formally pledged full transparency for what transpired during our military withdrawal from Afghanistan,” read a statement from Hegseth. “The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and to the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get to the facts. This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation.

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Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Photo by MARCUS YAM / LOS ANGELES TIMES via Getty Images

Biden praised the operation in 2021 and called it a success despite the large number of deaths, including those of U.S. service members.

“We completed one of the biggest airlifts in history, with more than 120,000 people evacuated to safety. No nation has ever done anything like it in all of history,” said Biden.

“The bottom line: 90% of Americans in Afghanistan who wanted to leave were able to leave,” he added. “And for those remaining Americans, there is no deadline. We remain committed to getting them out if they want to come out.”

Hegseth went on to say the department has been reviewing the “catastrophic event” for three months and concluded that a comprehensive review was necessary.

“To meet this imperative, I am directing the assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs (ATSD-PA) and senior advisor, Sean Parnell, to convene a special review panel (SP) for the department who will thoroughly examine previous investigations, to include but not limited to, findings of fact, sources, witnesses, and analyze the decision-making that led to one of America’s darkest and deadliest international moments,” he added.

“This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great nation,” Hegseth concluded.