Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo on Tuesday announcing a review of the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan “to ensure that accountability for this event is met.”
Hegseth did not specify in the memo what type of actions might result from the review.
“The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get the facts,” Hegseth wrote in the memo. “This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation.”
The Taliban captured Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, leading tens of thousands of desperate Afghans to attempt to flee the country via the Hamid Karzai International Airport. Despite the chaotic situation, U.S. troops managed to rescue more than 124,000 Afghans and Americans.
Thirteen service members and about 170 Afghans were killed in an Aug. 26, 2021 suicide bomb attack at the airport’s Abbey Gate. An investigation into the incident later found that a Marine general wanted to close the gate on Aug. 25, but an Army general decided to keep it open until Aug. 27 to allow British troops more time to finish their evacuation effort.
“Over the last three months, the Department has been engaged in a review of this catastrophic event in our military’s history,” Hegseth wrote in Tuesday’s memo. “I have concluded that we need to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure that accountability for this event is met and that the complete picture is provided to the American people.”
Chief Pentagon Spokesman and Senior Advisor Sean Parnell will lead the review, which will look into previous investigations to “analyze the decision making that led to one of America’s darkest and deadliest international moments,” the memo says.
“This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great Nation,” the memo says.
In a separate statement, Hegseth said that Parnell served in Afghanistan for 485 days, was wounded in action, along with 85% of his platoon, and “lost countless friends to the War on Terror.”
Former Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, who was court-martialed after posting videos while in uniform in which he criticized senior leaders for the Afghanistan withdrawal, will take part in the review, Hegseth announced.
Scheller posted on social media last month that he had started working at the Pentagon as a senior advisor to the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.
“Ironic that I will be investigating who should be held accountable for Afghanistan,” Scheller posted on X on Monday. “Thank you Pete Hegseth for your leadership.”
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