A recent hearing by the House Foreign Affairs Committee has brought to light the Biden administration’s mishandling of tens of millions of US taxpayer dollars during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. The committee’s criticism centers around the administration’s decision to leave behind vast amounts of military equipment, cash, and other resources, which ultimately fell into the hands of the Taliban.
Lawmakers grilled Secretary of State Antony Blinken over the administration’s handling of the withdrawal. They questioned him about a leaked phone call between President Biden and former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, in which Biden allegedly encouraged Ghani to present a more positive image of the Afghan military, despite knowing that the situation on the ground was dire.
Blinken sidestepped the questions, refusing to comment on the leaked transcript. Instead, he emphasized that the Biden administration had encouraged Ghani to consolidate his forces and develop a plan to defend Kabul.
The committee also expressed concerns about the vetting process for Afghan evacuees. Lawmakers pointed out that many of those who were evacuated to the US had not undergone thorough background checks. Blinken acknowledged that the vetting process was a challenge, but emphasized that the administration had taken steps to surge customs and border patrol, as well as intelligence and law enforcement capacity, to conduct thorough checks.
The hearing highlighted the ongoing controversy surrounding the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, with lawmakers from both parties criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of the situation. The mishandling of taxpayer dollars and the lack of transparency surrounding the withdrawal have raised serious concerns about the administration’s accountability and competence.
