In the wake of former President Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called for the Pentagon to launch a comprehensive review into the disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. The chaotic pullout, which saw the Taliban regain control of the country in a matter of days, left behind a trail of devastation, exposing the incompetence and poor planning of the Biden administration. Hegseth is arguing for the catastrophic events to be thoroughly examined, “that led to one of America’s darkest moments.”
On Tuesday, Hegseth directed the Pentagon to launch a full review of the botched U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan that happened more than three years ago. The humiliating and avoidable failure led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing at the Kabul International Airport’s Abbey Gate.
Hegseth said he would be directing Sean Parnell, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs and Senior Advisor, to lead a Special Review Panel for the Department of Defense on the U.S. military's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Parnell, a veteran who served 485 days in Afghanistan, was wounded in action and lost many comrades during the War on Terror. Hegseth believes Parnell should head the panel, which will reexamine the Abbey Gate investigations conducted by U.S. Central Command during the Biden Administration.
Also serving on the Special Review panel will be Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, a combat-decorated Marine officer who spoke out about the Afghanistan withdrawal, and Jerry Dunleavy, an author, journalist, and investigator who helped lead the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal.
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“This team will ensure ACCOUNTABILITY to the American people and the warfighters of our great Nation," Hegseth said in the memo.
Hegseth’s announcement follows the news of Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis, raising further questions about the decisions he made during his time in office. His health issues shed light on concerns about his mental acuity, especially leading up to the 2024 presidential election and at the end of his presidency. These health challenges, once dismissed as media rumors by the left, now appear to have potentially impacted his leadership throughout his term.
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