U.S. mistakes led to rapid collapse of Afghanistan government, report states

Poor planning by the US military before the “abrupt” withdrawal from Afghanistan led to the rapid collapse of the Western-backed government when the Taliban invaded the country in August 2021, according to a damning new surveillance report.

The scathing analysis by the Special Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan (SIGAR) found that the US decision to withdraw “destroyed the morale” of the Afghan National Security Force (ANDSF), and the 300,000 local troops were doomed without support. from the US

It also details the more than $7 billion worth of weapons and equipment left for the Taliban to use, and the widespread corruption that dominated the Afghan military and government.

The withdrawal was “abrupt and uncoordinated” and gave war-torn locals the impression that the United States was “simply handing over Afghanistan to a waiting Taliban government,” it continued.

The report also criticized the failure to create an “independent and self-sustaining” Afghan security force, despite 20 years and $90 billion of US support, and blamed both President Biden and President Trump. for the chaos

Eighteen months ago, the world watched in horror as Afghans desperately tried to flee on flights from Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport before the last Western troops left.

Horrifying videos showed evacuees clinging to the outside of planes, causing some to fall, in order to escape the regime that was closing in on the capital.

The chaos meant thousands, including locals who helped fight the war, were left behind as the US withdrew as the Taliban ran rampant.

Just a month earlier, Biden had insisted that a militant takeover of Afghanistan was “not inevitable”.

“Together, with our NATO allies and partners, we have trained and equipped nearly 300,000 current members of the armed forces, the Afghan National Security Force and many more who are no longer in service,” he told reporters.

“We provide our Afghan partners with all the tools, let me emphasize: all the tools, training and equipment of any modern army,” he added.

‘We provide advanced weaponry. And we will continue to provide funds and equipment. And we will make sure that they have the ability to maintain their air force.

But the SIGAR report exposed the holes in its assessment and painted a picture of Afghan security forces throwing down their weapons and not being prepared for the Taliban attack.

Nearly $7.2 billion worth of aircraft, weapons, vehicles, ammunition and specialized equipment such as night vision goggles and biometric devices were also left behind when US forces withdrew, according to the report.

This includes at least 78 aircraft worth $923.3 million, 9,524 air-to-ground munitions costing $6.54 million, more than 40,000 vehicles, more than 30,000 weapons, and almost all electronic equipment.

The Special Inspector General for the Reconstruction of Afghanistan (SIGAR), John Sopko, warned that it is “probably inevitable” that some of the weapons end up on the black market “given the ongoing conflict and the unprecedented volume of weapons being transferred to Ukraine”.

Also among the damning revelations was the fact that US forces often performed tasks for which they were supposed to train Afghan forces.

It meant that the local troops were unprepared, while the US military created an illusion of success.

The “sense of abandonment” felt by Afghan forces was sparked by Trump’s 2020 peace deal with the Taliban to start bringing troops home, SIGAR said in the report.

The ANDSF had relied on the US to ensure their salaries were paid, but the 2020 agreement “made it clear that this was no longer the case.”

There was also a significant drop in US airstrikes, and local security forces lacked the ‘sophistication and professional military leadership’ to replicate them.

‘Because US troops were so much more effective in the fight, they often led missions or filled critical gaps in missions, providing close air support, airstrikes, medical evacuation, logistics and intelligence gathering, at the expense of ANDSF gaining experience fighting for himself. ‘ says the report.

‘As a result, ANDSF became too dependent on borrowed capabilities.

SIGAR also claimed that the Pentagon did not fully cooperate with the investigation.

The Pentagon insisted it was cooperative and disputed some of the findings.

Army Lieutenant Colonel Rob Lodewick, Pentagon spokesman for Afghanistan, told DailyMail.com: “The Department of Defense is very aware of the recent SIGAR report seeking to determine the factors that led to the collapse of the Security and Defense Forces. National Federation (ANDSF).

‘Since SIGAR’s inception, the Department of Defense has contributed to and facilitated its work, a fact the report echoes in its first pages.

‘DoD again contributed to this report and provided responses to SIGAR’s requests for information.

“While we take issue with SIGAR’s claims of non-cooperation and address them accordingly in our official response in Appendix II, the Department will continue to facilitate SIGAR’s work to advance security and defense related matters related to Afghanistan. .

The investigation submitted to Congress has prompted more calls from Republicans investigating the pre-withdrawal process and oversight of the massive US financial backing of the Afghan government.

Republican Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, told DailyMail.com: “The Biden administration was tragically unprepared for withdrawal from Afghanistan and its decisions in the region directly resulted in a human catastrophe. and national security.”

‘We thank SIGAR for completing this report at the request of the House Oversight Committee.

SIGAR’s insights into the collapse of the Afghan security forces will help policy makers for years to come.

‘However, it is a shame that the Biden Administration has stalled and delayed the completion of this report by SIGAR by failing to respond to inquiries in a timely manner.

‘What do the Department of Defense, the State, USAID and Treasury have to hide from the American people when it comes to the US involvement in Afghanistan? Oversight Republicans are determined to provide answers.’

Critics have also pointed out how SIGAR’s investigation shows that there has still been no accountability for the failed withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Amy Mitchell, a former senior Pentagon and State Department official, told DailyMail.com: “On August 17, 2021, as chaos engulfed Afghanistan, President Biden literally said, ‘I am president of the United States and the responsibility is mine’. ‘

‘The new SIGAR report, however, unequivocally demonstrates the complete lack of responsibility and accountability of this administration for the hasty withdrawal.

There are, and will continue to be, many allegations as more investigations and reports are released.

“But in the end, as the report shows, it was the Biden Administration’s decision to leave Afghanistan unprepared, while handing over the country, and millions in US military equipment, to the Taliban.

Driven by the publicity-hungry, bogus deadline of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the Biden administration used poor judgment, poor planning, and is now pointing the finger at others in what is undeniably the worst foreign policy failure ever. of the United States in more than half a century. century.

‘The result, almost two years later, is still no accountability and the surrender of the Afghan people to the terror of the Taliban.’

Hung Cao, a retired Marine Captain who served in Special Operations for 25 years and a senior adviser to Polaris National Security, also told DailyMail.com: ‘Gone are the days of leaders declaring ‘the responsibility stops here’ and they meant it.

“In contrast, President Biden and his team are not responsible for any of their actions in Afghanistan, be it the withdrawal or the drone strike that mistakenly killed an American aid worker and innocent children,” Cao added, a Republican House candidate who was defeated in midterms.

They blame everyone around them. The president’s decision to ignore General Miller’s proposal to leave a 2,500-strong rapid reaction force in Afghanistan proved costly.

“Their unilateral withdrawal strategy resulted in a catastrophic situation, leaving billions of dollars worth of equipment in the hands of the Taliban and our allies stranded in a dangerous and uncertain environment.

“When I served twenty-five years in the military, we were taught the three principles of leadership: authority, responsibility, and accountability, all of which Joe Biden has failed to possess as our Commander-in-Chief.”