US Secretary of State Criticizes Trump at Afghan Hearing: "Only Provided Withdrawal Deadline, No Plan"

"Stationing for 10 More Years Would Only Please Adversary Countries"
US Republicans and Democrats Clash Over Afghan Issue

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken's remarks shifting responsibility to the previous Donald Trump administration's lack of strategy, which increased confusion regarding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan during a congressional hearing, have sparked controversy within U.S. political circles. As the Democratic and Republican parties engage in a fierce blame game, the Joe Biden administration is expected to continue facing negative public opinion on the Afghanistan issue.

On the 13th (local time), Secretary Blinken appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing and criticized the Trump administration's lack of strategy as the reason for the increased confusion in the Afghanistan withdrawal, stating, "We only received an extended withdrawal deadline from the Trump administration, but no withdrawal plan."

He added, "Even if U.S. troops had stayed in Afghanistan for 10 more years, there was neither the possibility nor evidence that the Afghan military or government would become more self-reliant," emphasizing, "If we had sunk deeper into the quagmire in Afghanistan for another decade, strategic competitors like China and Russia, or adversaries such as Iran and North Korea, would have benefited."

At the hearing, Republican lawmakers harshly criticized the Biden administration for betrayal regarding Afghanistan and defeat by the Taliban, while Democrats countered that the administration inherited an unprepared Afghanistan issue from the irresponsibly decided withdrawal by the Trump administration and successfully completed the withdrawal without greater damage, leading to a tense standoff.

Secretary Blinken repeatedly appealed that the time had come to end the Afghanistan war, defending the withdrawal by stating that prior consultations were held with allied forces and partners during the decision-making process, and unanimous approval was obtained from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He also praised the operation, saying that through thorough preparations for both military withdrawal and civilian evacuation, 124,000 people were safely relocated, calling it "one of the largest airlift operations in history."

However, he acknowledged misjudgments about the situation in Afghanistan. He admitted, "We assessed the capabilities of the Afghan military and reviewed various scenarios, but even the most pessimistic evaluations did not anticipate that the Afghan forces would collapse before the U.S. completed its withdrawal," acknowledging a failure to properly assess the situation.

Secretary Blinken pledged, "We will continue relentless efforts to evacuate additional Americans and local allies in Afghanistan, ensure that Afghanistan does not become a haven for terrorist groups, and maintain intense diplomacy with allies and partners to ensure the Taliban keeps its promises on human rights, including for women." He also stated that while sanctions against the Taliban will be maintained, humanitarian aid to Afghans will continue through independent organizations rather than the Afghan government.

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