Hegseth orders new investigation into failed Afghanistan withdrawal

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Pentagon to launch a new investigation into the chaotic departure of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in 2021. The move seeks to shed light on key decisions and answers to the families of the fallen, veterans and the country.

In a memo released Tuesday, Hegseth instructed the Department of Defense to thoroughly review the withdrawal's circumstances, calling the process one of the "darkest and deadliest" episodes in recent U.S. history. Although previous assessments have been published, he said, none have provided a complete picture, allowing for understanding mistakes and accountability.

"This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform," he wrote.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell will lead the new panel. It will be tasked with reviewing strategic decisions, logistical failures and the chain of command that led to the loss of life and the recovery of Taliban power in a matter of days.

Abbey Gate, the tipping point

August 26, 2021, marked the most tragic moment of the evacuation operation. An attacker from the ISIS-K group, released by the Taliban weeks earlier, blew himself up at one of the entrances to Kabul airport. The attack claimed the lives of 13 U.S. military personnel and some 170 Afghan civilians, as thousands attempted to flee the country.

This attack, coupled with the accelerating collapse of the Afghan government and the return of the Taliban regime, sparked criticism on all fronts. Joe Biden, then president, faced questions for executing a plan initially laid out by the Trump Administration without foreseeing how quickly the enemy would advance.

Cross-reporting

Different agencies and congressional committees have since conducted independent investigations. A White House report acknowledged flaws in the intelligence assessment. At the same time, the Republican-controlled House Foreign Affairs Committee accused the Biden administration of prioritizing the visual narrative of withdrawal over security.

An outstanding debt to the combatants

With this new review, the Department of Defense seeks to close an open wound in the national memory and, according to Hegseth, honor the sacrifice of those who gave their youth and lives in Afghanistan.