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Three Years Later, Biden Still Hasn’t Said Who’s At Fault For Chaotic Afghanistan Withdrawal

Published

10 months ago

7 minute read

From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Jake Smith

 

On the third anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration has yet to fire any leadership personnel for their role in the botched operation; instead, the administration has maintained that the decision to pull out was the right move.

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 was seen by many as a chaotic and abrupt operation that led to the deaths of several U.S. troops. But the Biden administration has largely refused to admit blame in the matter, and no leadership involved has been dismissed or resigned over the operation, according to a review of multiple records.

The Biden administration’s goal was to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September 2021, but a failure of planning and preparation by leadership in Washington created a disordered situation for troops on the ground in Afghanistan, resulting in a disordered evacuation. There was also a miscalculation among military leaders who believed that the Taliban would not seize control of the country as quickly as the extremist group did after U.S. forces withdrew.

The Department of Defense, headed by Secretary Lloyd Austin, was intimately involved prior to and during the withdrawal, guiding U.S. military operations on the ground in Afghanistan and providing resources and intelligence for the operation. Former Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCOS) Chairman retired Gen. Mark Milley — at the time the highest ranking member of the military — was also involved in coordinating strategy and operations for the withdrawal.

Both Austin and Milley attended planning sessions for the withdrawal, retired Gen. Austin Scott Miller, the top U.S. general in Afghanistan at the time, told lawmakers during a closed-door hearing in April, according to The Washington Post. Miller had been privately warning the administration ahead of the withdrawal that Afghanistan’s stability would get “very bad, very fast” after U.S. forces departed.

Miller stepped down from his role in July 2023, after serving as the most senior U.S. officer in Afghanistan. Neither Austin nor Milley were removed from their roles over the withdrawal, though Milley testified in 2023 that he had advised the administration to keep troops in Afghanistan, arguing that the region would quickly collapse if the U.S. withdrew on the set timeline, according to The New York Times. Milley’s term as JCOS chair ended in September 2023.

For his part, Austin testified in 2023 that he supported Biden’s decision to evacuate U.S. troops in 2021 and said he didn’t “have any regrets” about the operation. Austin remains the current Secretary of Defense under Biden.

Similar to the Department of Defense, the State Department, led by Secretary Antony Blinken and tasked with overseeing U.S. foreign affairs, was also involved in planning and helping execute the Afghanistan withdrawal, especially regarding evacuating U.S. citizens present in the country. Thousands of Americans were initially stranded in Afghanistan; most of them were evacuated in the weeks and months following.

A State Department 2023 after-action report found that the withdrawal operation “was hindered by the fact that it was unclear who in the Department had the lead.” The report also noted that there was an “insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios.”

There have been multiple credible reports that the State Department on various occasions failed to properly vet or track millions in aid to Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal in 2021, running the risk it could end up in the hands of the Taliban or other extremist groups.

The U.S. left over $7 billion worth of military equipment in Afghanistan. The Taliban, an Islamic extremist group ruling over Afghanistan, held a demonstration on Wednesday with American military equipment and vehicles left at a former U.S. base in the country.

Biden has not dismissed Blinken, and Blinken has not resigned from his role as Secretary of State. Nor has Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, who would have had his ear and offered him advice prior to and during the withdrawal.

A Biden administration 2023 report assigned most blame on the former Trump administration for the withdrawal, given that Trump signed an agreement with the Taliban in 2020 to withdraw U.S. forces by 2021. After taking office in 2021, Biden tried to abide by the agreement and withdraw forces by September of that year, according to the report.

Trump and his team argue that had he been president at the time, the withdrawal would have been executed in a safe and secure manner, and blamed the Biden administration for “trying to gaslight the American people for their disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan that directly led to American deaths and emboldened the terrorists.”

Biden has defended his choice to withdraw U.S. forces from Afghanistan when he did. He falsely claimed during a debate against Trump in June that he was “the only president this decade that doesn’t have any troops dying anywhere in the world.”

Following the withdrawal, Biden also reportedly told his top aides, including Sullivan, that he supported them and their decisions regarding the operation, according to Axios.

The Pentagon and State Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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Trump leaves G7 early after urging evacuation of Tehran

Published on June 16, 2025

By

MXM logo MxM News

Quick Hit:

President Trump will leave the G7 summit early following rising tensions in the Middle East. In a Truth Social post Monday night, he warned “everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran” and slammed Iran for rejecting a proposed nuclear deal.

Key Details:

  • “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign,” Trump posted on Truth Social Monday night, warning that “IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON.”

  • “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran,” he added, echoing warnings from Israeli officials issued earlier in the day ahead of expected military operations.

  • Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed he will leave the G7 in Alberta after a working dinner with world leaders, citing the evolving conflict in the Middle East.

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump will cut his G7 visit short and return to the United States Monday night after issuing an urgent warning for mass evacuations in Iran’s capital city. The message, shared on his official Truth Social account, came amid intensifying military conflict between Israel and Iran.

“Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life,” Trump wrote. “Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”

The post follows Israel’s repeated missile strikes on Iranian targets, including nuclear facilities and regime leadership, in response to Tehran’s escalated provocations. Monday marked the fourth consecutive day of fighting between the two nations.

Earlier in the day, Israeli officials had already advised residents in northeastern Tehran to evacuate, foreshadowing continued strikes. According to Israeli military estimates, one-third of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers have been destroyed so far in the renewed conflict.

While attending the G7 summit in Canada, Trump emphasized the gravity of the situation. His press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed that he will depart after dinner with fellow heads of state. “Much was accomplished,” she posted, noting a major trade deal signed with the UK, “but because of what’s going on in the Middle East, President Trump will be leaving tonight.”

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Israel bombs Iranian state TV while live on air

Published on June 16, 2025

By

MXM logo MxM News

Quick Hit:

Israel struck Iran’s state-run television station during a live broadcast Monday, forcing an anchor to flee mid-sentence as debris rained down. The Israeli Air Force expanded its target list to include media arms of the Iranian regime after continued missile attacks on Israeli civilians.

Key Details:

  • The Israeli Air Force bombed Iran’s state broadcaster during a live segment, interrupting footage of Iranian missiles hitting Israel. An anchor was seen abandoning her post as the studio filled with smoke and debris.

  • The strike followed public warnings from Israel for residents in northeast Tehran to evacuate ahead of operations targeting regime-linked facilities.

  • Israel’s expanded military campaign follows a new wave of Iranian missile attacks Sunday night into Monday, with Jerusalem emphasizing its intent to avoid civilian casualties despite growing targeting of regime infrastructure.

Diving Deeper:

The Israeli Air Force carried out an airstrike Monday on Iran’s state-controlled television network while it was broadcasting live, part of a broader escalation in Israel’s campaign to dismantle Iran’s military and propaganda infrastructure.

According to footage circulating online, the incident occurred as the anchor—visibly agitated and dressed in a black chador—was delivering a harsh anti-Israel rant. In the middle of the broadcast, the screen darkened, the set shook, and debris began falling from the ceiling. The anchor turned and fled as the feed abruptly cut out. The moment marked a rare glimpse into the vulnerability of Iran’s tightly controlled state media under Israeli bombardment.

Israel had publicly urged civilians in northeast Tehran to evacuate earlier that day, signaling imminent attacks in the area. Initial expectations were that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would focus on military and intelligence targets. However, in light of Iran’s continued launches of ballistic missiles at civilian areas across Israel, Jerusalem has expanded its mission to include what it calls “political instruments of the regime”—which now appears to include its media apparatus.

While Iranian authorities maintain strict control over domestic news and heavily censor dissenting voices, Monday’s strike disrupted their messaging operation in real time. Iran’s state-run outlets have played a key role in promoting anti-Israel narratives and concealing internal dissent. Journalists in Iran face imprisonment or worse for crossing red lines laid out by the regime.

The Israeli military’s broader campaign has crippled Iranian air defenses, granting the IAF near-total air superiority over Tehran and much of the country. With that operational freedom, Israel has systematically struck IRGC command centers, missile sites, and now media outlets tied to the regime.

Despite the heightened intensity of the conflict, Israeli officials have reiterated that their strikes are aimed solely at regime targets, not civilians. Reports on social media indicated growing panic in Tehran, with widespread traffic as residents attempted to flee the capital.

Monday’s dramatic strike on state TV underscored Israel’s determination to degrade all facets of Iran’s war-making and propaganda capabilities—signaling that even live broadcasts from Tehran are no longer beyond the reach of Israeli precision airpower.

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