Former Afghan Army Lt. Gen. Sami Sadat says Afghanistan has become a 'crucible of terrorism' following the US withdrawal and the immediate Taliban takeover, which has ultimately made the country a safe haven for al Qaeda. Texas Rep. Mike McCaul, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released a scathing report that meticulously examined the military’s botched 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal and highlighted areas of serious mismanagement. The Republican-led report opens by referencing President Joe Biden’s urgency to withdraw from the Vietnam War as a senator in the 1970s. This, along with the Afghanistan withdrawal,

demonstrates a 'pattern of callous foreign policy positions and readiness to abandon strategic partners,' according to the report. The report disputed Biden's assertion that he was bound by the Doha agreement made by former President Trump with the Taliban, which set a deadline for U.S. withdrawal in summer 2021. It revealed that state officials had no plan for getting Americans and allies out while there were still troops there to protect them. According to the findings, Biden and Vice President Harris were advised that the Taliban violated the conditions of the Doha agreement and, therefore, the U.S. was not obligated to leave. The committee also found NATO allies expressed strong opposition to the U.S. decision to withdraw, with the British Chief of the

Defense staff warning that 'withdrawal under these circumstances would be perceived as a strategic victory for the Taliban.'The report reveals Biden kept Zalmay Khalilzad, a Trump appointee who negotiated the Doha agreement, as the special representative to Afghanistan, signaling that the new administration endorsed the deal. Khalilzad had excluded the Afghan government from talks at the Taliban's demand, which was a significant blow to President Ashraf Ghani’s government. When Trump left office, around 2,500 U.S. troops were still in Afghanistan. According to Col. Seth Krummrich, chief of staff for Special Operations Command, Biden was determined to reduce that number to zero no matter what, refusing to heed advisors’ warnings.

The State Department failed to plan an effective evacuation and increased personnel even as it became clear Kabul would fall quickly to the Taliban. In one instance, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKeon dismissed military officials’ warnings, indicating a lack of understanding of the risk. The report lays substantial blame on former Afghanistan Ambassador Ross Wilson, who expanded the embassy’s presence as the security situation deteriorated. Wilson was on vacation during key weeks before the Taliban takeover, showing little urgency.A noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO) was not ordered until August 15 as the Taliban marched into Kabul, with insufficient troops present until August 19. The first public message urging

Americans to evacuate wasn’t sent until August 7. The Transportation Department only allowed foreign planes to assist on August 20, compounding evacuation delays. Wilson prematurely fled the embassy ahead of his staff, reportedly falsifying a COVID-19 test to escape. The embassy’s evacuation plan was incomplete when the Taliban took over, despite months of warning.Americans and allies were left behind while unvetted Afghans were evacuated. Local embassy employees were de-prioritized, leading to emotional scenes at the airport as they were turned away. As the Taliban surrounded Kabul, a National Security Counsel meeting revealed the U.S. still had not determined who was eligible for evacuation or identified third countries for transit. Special immigrant

visas for Afghan U.S. military allies like interpreters were processed less frequently during the crucial months before the takeover. When the last U.S. military flight departed, approximately 1,000 Americans and over 90% of SIV-eligible Afghans remained. Many evacuees lacked documentation, and the U.S. government had 'no idea if people being evacuated were threats.'Scenes at Abbey Gate during the evacuation were chaotic, with extreme terror threats unheeded before a bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 150 Afghans. U.S. intelligence tracked multiple threat streams, including suicide vest IEDs, but no preemptive strikes occurred. An intended airstrike later killed civilians rather than the ISIS-K cell responsible.

No subsequent strikes against ISIS-K in Afghanistan have contrasted sharply with CENTCOM’s 313 operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria in 2022.In the long term, the Taliban have gained access to abandoned U.S. weapons and funds initially given to the Afghan government. They are using U.S. military biometric devices to hunt down former U.S. allies. The first six months of Taliban rule have seen nearly 500 former government officials and Afghan security forces killed or disappeared. Child brides and severe restrictions on women’s rights have become common. Additionally, a report in June 2024 indicated more than 400 individuals from Central Asia illegally crossed the U.S. southern border via an ISIS-related smuggling network. The U.S. has since arrested

over 150 of these individuals, including eight with ties to ISIS-K.