WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — In a recently released State Department report, significant shortcomings were highlighted in the planning and execution of the Afghanistan War under both the Trump and Biden administrations. The report sheds light on critical aspects of the conflict, including the repercussions of a deal struck with the Taliban and the handover of Bagram Air Base to the Afghan government.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says the report’s findings reflect the administration’s responsibility in the matter.
“This is a state department report. Clearly, it is part of the administration. If that’s what it lays out, that’s what it lays out,” she said.
One key revelation is that the Department failed to adequately plan for the war’s conclusion, even after President Biden decided to proceed with a deal reached by President Trump and the Taliban. The report also emphasizes the impact of handing over Bagram Air Base to the Afghan government early on in the conflict. This decision severely limited the United States’ ability to withdraw effectively, as it left them reliant on the single remaining airport in the region.
During an interview with FOX News Sunday, Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) still had questions but he admitted that there were no easy solutions for ending a failed war like Afghanistan.
“The bigger mistake here would’ve been to keep troops in Afghanistan for another decade, another trillion dollars, more lives lost, for a war that could not be won,” Auchincloss said.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, on CBS’ Face the Nation, expressed a different perspective and placed blame on the current administration for the situation in Afghanistan.
Pence argued that when the Taliban violated the deal and seized control of Mazar-i-Sharif, President Biden’s lack of action set in motion the catastrophic events that unfolded thereafter.
“When the Taliban broke the deal and moved into Mazar-i-Sharif and Joe Biden did nothing, that set into motion the catastrophe that became Afghanistan,” Pence said.