American Military News by Timothy Frudd 5/21/2025
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered Pentagon leaders on Tuesday to conduct a “comprehensive review” of the U.S. military’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
In a Tuesday memorandum sent to senior Pentagon leaders, Hegseth said, “On August 26, 2021, President Biden’s administration led a chaotic withdrawal of US military and embassy officials from Afghanistan that led to the deaths of 13 US Service members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport’s Abbey Gate. President Trump and I have formally pledged full transparency for what transpired during our military withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
Hegseth explained that the Pentagon has an “obligation” to the American public and to the U.S. military members who served in Afghanistan to “get to the facts” behind the U.S. military’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden-Harris administration. The secretary of defense noted that reviewing the facts surrounding the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan is an “important step” in the Trump administration’s efforts to regain the faith and trust of the American people and those who serve in the military.
“Over the last three months, the Department has been engaged in a review of this catastrophic event in our military’s history,” Hegseth said. “I have concluded that we need to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure that accountability for this event is met and that the complete picture is provided to the American people.”
More:
https://americanmilitarynews.com/2025/05/catastrophic-afghanistan-withdrawal-review-ordered-by-secdef-hegseth/
