Hegseth orders new review of Afghanistan withdrawal and suicide bombing at Kabul airport

WASHINGTON AP Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered another review of the U S military s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in and of the suicide bombing at the Kabul airport that killed American troops and Afghans President Donald Trump and Hegseth have repeatedly blasted the Biden administration for the withdrawal which Hegseth commented Tuesday was disastrous and embarrassing He disclosed the new review will interview observers analyze the decision-making and get the truth There have already been multiple reviews of the withdrawal by the Pentagon U S Central Command the State Department and Congress which have involved hundreds of interviews and studies of videos photographs and other footage and information It s unclear what specific new information the new review is seeking The Abbey Gate bombing during the final days of the Afghanistan withdrawal killed U S function members and Afghans and wounded scores more It triggered widespread debate and congressional criticism fueled by searing photographs of desperate Afghans trying to crowd into the airport to get out of Kabul with selected clinging to U S military aircraft as they were taking off A detailed U S military review was ordered in to expand the number of people interviewed after a Marine injured in the blast revealed snipers concluded they saw the doable bomber but couldn t get approval to take him out The findings disclosed in refuted those assertions and concluded that the bombing was not preventable A congressional review was highly critical of the withdrawal saying the Biden administration did not adequately prepare for it or for all the contingencies and put personnel in danger Others however have faulted the State Department for not moving speedily enough to decide on an evacuation resulting in a rush to get out as the Taliban took control of the country Critics have also blamed Trump for making a deal with the Taliban in when he was president to remove U S troops from Afghanistan which decreased the number of forces on the ground as the pullout went on Both Trump and then-President Joe Biden requested an end to the war and U S troops out of Afghanistan The new review will be led by Sean Parnell the assistant to the secretary of defense for citizens affairs He will convene a panel that will provide updates at appropriate times but there is no time frame or deadline for any document which is very unique Source