Michael McCaul calls U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan catastrophic

KABUL: Michael McCaul, a member of the U.S. Congress, has described the withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan as “catastrophic and a stain on the nation’s history” on the fourth anniversary of the last soldier’s departure. Four years ago, on the morning of August 30, 2021, the last group of U.S. troops left Kabul Airport, marking the end of America’s military presence in Afghanistan, just two weeks after the Taliban had seized control of the capital. At that time, American forces and other foreign military personnel were evacuating U.S. citizens and Afghan allies from the airport. During this operation, a deadly suicide attack occurred, resulting in the deaths of dozens of Afghan citizens and 13 U.S. service members. In a statement on social media platform X, McCaul criticized President Biden’s promises that no one would be left behind, asserting that his administration left at least a thousand Americans and thousands of Afghan allies to face Taliban retribution. He also noted that the Biden administration ignored security preparations and failed to plan for emergencies. McCaul emphasized that the manner of the U.S. exit put allies at risk, unleashed terrorism in the region, and exposed America’s global weakness—a weakness that emboldened enemies, including Vladimir Putin. He stated, “This disastrous withdrawal left a bloody stain on our nation’s history—but we cannot turn away from it.” The Biden administration faced pressure over the way the U.S. exited Afghanistan. The Trump administration had repeatedly called the withdrawal “the most shameful moment in the country’s history,” noting that the peace agreement with the Taliban mandated the exit. Biden also mentioned during his term that he inherited this agreement and was obligated to implement it.