The Biden administration has failed to acknowledge its withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan was botched, dangerous and a foreign affairs nightmare; until now. But there is just one caveat; it was former President Donald Trump’s fault.
“Decisions made and the lack of planning done by the previous administration significantly limited the options available” for withdrawal, White House spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing.
“Kirby said that during the transition, the Biden administration asked to see plans for withdrawal but “none were forthcoming” from the Trump administration” reports the Washington Free Beacon.
“Transitions matter and the incoming administration wasn’t afforded much of one,” Kirby added. The report admits the Biden administration should have begun evacuations earlier. Kirby said “not everything” was “perfect” but that there is a lot to be “proud of.”
Kirby was repeatedly asked by the press if any official in the administration would face consequences for the failed exit. Kirby refused to answer, instead saying the report was not about “accountability” but to share information.
“Intelligence is hard business, they get it right a lot too,” Kirby said.
The administration said it learned from the Kabul fall and used these lessons in Ethiopia and Ukraine. “We now prioritize earlier evacuations when faced with a degrading security situation,” the White House said in the report.
The Beacon adds that during the briefing, a reporter the White House for not releasing the report until just before a holiday weekend. “This was sent to us about 10 minutes before the briefing, with little notice,” the reporter said. “Releasing this at the beginning of a high holiday, after months of requests … is this all we get?”
The Beacon reminds readers of the reality that truly was a botched, and deadly withdrawal which killed 13 American servicemembers and left many more stranded:
The evacuation ended in August 2021, with the Biden administration leaving nearly $7.2 billion worth of military equipment in the hands of the Taliban, according to oversight reports. Thirteen U.S. servicemembers died in a suicide attack at the evacuation airport. House Republicans have begun investigating the withdrawal and subsequent fall of Afghanistan, issuing Secretary of State Antony Blinken a subpoena in late March.
