Chairman McCaul’s Statement on Third Anniversary of the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Washington, D.C. - Three years ago today, the last U.S. military flight left Afghanistan following President Biden's "go-to-zero" order. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul issued the following statement commemorating the third anniversary.

"When the last U.S. flight departed from Kabul airport on August 30, 2021, the Biden-Harris administration stranded at least 1,000 American citizens, abandoned tens of thousands of our Afghan allies to be hunted by the Taliban, and left behind more than $7 billion worth of U.S. military equipment that the Taliban is now parading and selling on the black market. After 20 years of American blood, sweat, and tears poured into the country, Afghanistan has once again become a terrorist safe haven where women are forced to live in the shadows under the oppressive yoke of Taliban rule. The chaos and devastation that took place in August of 2021 has forever damaged U.S. credibility in the eyes of our allies, while emboldening our adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran. Yet, not a single person was fired and, to this day, no one was ever held accountable by President Biden or Vice President Harris. Instead, they treat the Afghanistan catastrophe as a point of pride. It is shameful.

"On September 9^th, I will release my committee's report detailing the findings of our three-year investigation into the Biden-Harris withdrawal from Afghanistan. It will serve as an indictment on the administration's reckless refusal to properly prepare for the withdrawal, their cold indifference to the safety and security of U.S. personnel on the ground before and during the emergency evacuation, and their culpability in the deaths of 13 U.S. servicemembers who perished in the terrorist attack at Abbey Gate. President Biden and Vice President Harris can no longer sweep their unmitigated disaster of epic proportions that they created under the rug."

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