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US House Republican report blasts Biden over chaotic Afghan withdrawal

Some 800,000 U.S. service members served in Afghanistan following the U.S.-led invasion triggered by the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the U.S. by Afghanistan-based al Qaeda.

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U.S. House of Representatives Republicans will release a long-awaited report on Monday blasting Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration for failures surrounding the chaotic and deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Reuters reported.

The report contends that the administration made its decision to evacuate noncombatants far too late, formally ordering it only on Aug. 16, failed to communicate between departments in Washington and among officials in Afghanistan, and botched the paperwork for the departure of Afghan civilians eligible to leave the country.

It is the result of a three-year investigation led by Representative Michael McCaul, Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

“America’s credibility on the world stage was severely damaged after we abandoned Afghan allies to Taliban [Islamic Emirate] reprisal killings — the people of Afghanistan we had promised to protect,” the report said. “And the moral injury to America’s veterans and those still serving remains a stain on this administration’s legacy.”

The withdrawal has become intensely politicized ahead of the Nov. 5 U.S. presidential election. Last month, the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, shot video for his campaign at Arlington National Cemetery where he appeared at a ceremony honoring troops killed in the evacuation.

Trump has also attacked Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over the exit from Afghanistan during campaign appearances, blaming them personally for the deaths at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate. On Aug. 26, 2021, as U.S. forces were trying to help Americans and Afghans flee as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan took control of the country, a suicide attack at the Abbey Gate entrance to Kabul’s airport killed 13 Americans, compounding the U.S. sense of defeat after two decades of war, Reuters reported.

Harris is the Democratic presidential nominee.

Democrats have insisted that some blame for the messy end of the war – less than seven months into Biden’s presidency – should be laid at the feet of Trump, who began the withdrawal process by signing a deal with the Islamic Emirate in 2020.

“When former President Trump took office, there were approximately 14,000 American troops in Afghanistan. Days before leaving office, the former President ordered a further reduction to 2,500,” Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs panel, said in a letter to committee Democrats about the investigation.

Republican committee aides dismissed that contention as partisan politics, saying Biden could have ignored Trump’s agreement or enforced it, accusing officials who served during Biden’s presidency of allowing the Islamic Emirate to disregard its commitments.

Some 800,000 U.S. service members served in Afghanistan following the U.S.-led invasion triggered by the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the U.S. by Afghanistan-based al Qaeda.

During the war, 2,238 U.S. service members died and nearly 21,000 were wounded. Independent estimates put the number of Afghan security forces and civilians killed at more than 100,000, Reuters reported.

McCaul has subpoenaed Secretary of State Antony Blinken three times in connection with the Afghanistan investigation, most recently last week, saying that he wants him to testify in person.

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Khalilzad questions Pakistan’s commitment to Afghan welfare

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Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.

Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.

Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”

Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.

He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.

Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”

 
 
 
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India, UN envoy discuss Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs

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India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.

Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.

Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.

The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.

 
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Kazakhstan calls for coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan

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Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.

Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.

He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.

Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.

He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.

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