US Congress Likely to Investigate Biden Administration's Decision on Afghanistan Withdrawal

President Joe Biden of the United States [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The U.S. Congress appears set to launch a high-intensity investigation into the Biden administration's decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan.

According to U.S. political media outlet Politico on the 17th (local time), three Senate standing committees led by the ruling Democratic Party announced they will investigate the Biden administration's military withdrawal. The Senate committees that have announced investigations into the withdrawal decision are the Intelligence Committee, Foreign Relations Committee, and Armed Services Committee, all chaired by Democrats.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez said in a statement, "I am disappointed that the Biden administration did not accurately assess the implications of the U.S.'s hasty withdrawal," adding, "We are now witnessing the terrible consequences of years of policy and intelligence failures, and an explanation is needed."

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner also said, "We will ask difficult but necessary questions about why we were not well prepared for the worst-case scenario."

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed announced plans to hold hearings on the Afghanistan situation, criticizing the "chaos resulting from government intelligence and diplomatic failures" and stating, "The government lacked imagination when withdrawing the military."

The House Foreign Affairs Committee also demanded that the Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense appear promptly to explain the situation.

House Foreign Affairs Committee member Gregory Meeks, a Democrat, pressured, "The situation in Afghanistan is rapidly changing, and the government must transparently explain its Afghanistan strategy to the public and Congress."

Politico reported that the congressional investigation could become the Biden administration's first major headache, noting that bipartisan anger is spreading over inadequate preparations and chaotic exit strategies in America's longest war.

Internationally, criticism continues over the U.S. withdrawal and failures in Afghanistan policy. Armin Laschet, the leading candidate for Germany's next chancellor from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) coalition, called the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on the 17th "the greatest disaster since NATO's founding."

Norbert R?ttgen, chairman of the German Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, also condemned the Biden administration's move as a "serious and significant misjudgment," saying it "fundamentally damaged the West's political and ethical credibility."

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi criticized the U.S. Afghanistan policy during a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the 16th, stating that the policy had failed and "it has been repeatedly proven that forcibly applying foreign models to countries with completely different histories, cultures, and public sentiments makes it ultimately difficult to gain a foothold."

Meanwhile, there are also positive evaluations within the U.S. that President Biden made a decision essential to American national interests.

Stephen Walt, a prominent international relations theorist and Harvard professor, told The Washington Post, "By ending the long and futile war in Afghanistan, the U.S. can focus on higher priorities." Professor Walt emphasized, "Deciding not to continue an unwinnable war over non-vital interests does not mean the U.S. will avoid fighting in future conflicts where greater stakes are involved."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.