iscover
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced there will be an accountability review of the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Hegseth recently released a memo to investigate the withdrawal “to ensure that accountability for this event is met”.
The US military had previously organised evacuations for around 124,000 Afghani citizens via military aircraft from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August 2021. More than 170 residents and 13 service personnel were killed when a suicide bomb exploded at the airport’s Abbey Gate on 26 August.
“On August 26, 2021, President Biden’s administration led a chaotic withdrawal of US military and embassy officials from Afghanistan that led to the deaths of 13 US Service members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport’s Abbey Gate,” according to the memo published by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“President Trump and I have formally pledged full transparency for what transpired during our military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“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.
“Over the last three months, the 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.
“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 (SRP) for the Department who will thoroughly examine previous investigations, to include but not limited to, findings of fact, sources, witnesses, and analyse the decision making that led to one of America’s darkest and deadliest international moments.
“This team will ensure accountability to the American people and the warfighters of our great nation.”
