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Afghan Responsibility Workshop Begins… Biden “Trump Blame”, public opinion ‘cool’

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the White House in Washington, DC, on the 20th (local time) that he will return all Americans safely from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. © AFP=News1 © News1 Reporter Dongmyeong Woo

With the United States officially withdrawing from Afghanistan on March 31, the Biden administration is facing accusations of reverting the Afghan clock to 20 years ago with a premature withdrawal.

President Biden’s approval ratings have reached their lowest level in eight months since he took office, and some are even calling for impeachment. Here, Congress is planning to hold a hearing in the near future to fight for responsibility.

The Biden administration will be put to the test of hearings, according to CNN on the 1st (local time), saying that after the withdrawal of Afghanistan, the question of who was at fault in the United States is growing.

◇ Biden shifts responsibility to former president… Self-praise for the evacuation operation: First of all, Biden and his administration are busy shifting the blame and are showing their resentment.

White House and State Department officials have personally complained about why they are being criticized more than intelligence agencies that did not predict how quickly Kabul would fall, CNN reported.

They were also outraged that Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy to Afghanistan, should have made a more realistic assessment of the Taliban’s intentions.

In fact, President Biden gave a speech to the public on the 31st of the Afghanistan withdrawal, praising himself, saying that ‘the evacuation operation was a great success’. During his speeches, he even shifted the blame to former President Donald Trump.

President Biden said, “The United States has ended the 20-year war in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history.” “There is definitely something to be done. The former president signed an agreement with the Taliban to withdraw troops by May 1. Under this agreement, including the Taliban commander, We also approved the release of 5,000 prisoners.

However, the Biden administration has announced that it will conduct an internal ‘Hot Wash’ investigation even if it is conscious of public opinion.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said: “The ‘Hot Wash’ investigation will review everything that has happened throughout this operation from start to finish.” We will review possible improvements.”

The term ‘hot wash’ referred to here, meaning ‘post-operation evaluation’, comes from the practice of some soldiers injecting their weapons into very hot water to remove sand and residue after gun use.

The remains of 13 U.S. soldiers who were killed in the suicide bombing of Kabul airport in Afghanistan arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on the 29th (local time). © AFP=News1 © News1 Reporter Dongmyeong Woo

◇ Biden’s Responsibility Theory… Criticism from both sides: Despite this, Congress has raised the level of criticism against President Biden, regardless of the opposition.

They criticized Biden for ignoring concerns about the collapse of the Afghan government, which the National Security Council (NSC) and the State Department had warned of to force the withdrawal, and now is turning arrows to the intelligence service.

The theory of responsibility is also spreading. President Biden’s approval rating has reached an all-time low (46 percent in favor) since taking office in January, and some Republican lawmakers are calling for Biden’s resignation or even impeachment.

Among the critics was Democratic Senator Chris Koons (Delaware), who is considered Biden’s closest ally. He also expressed support for a review of the series of processes that occurred during the withdrawal of Afghan troops and the post-processing process.

“Everything that happened in Afghanistan is solely the responsibility of Joe Biden,” said Mike Rogers, a Republican member of the House Armed Forces Committee. contributed

Currently, each standing committee of the US Congress is preparing a hearing on a series of events in Afghanistan, including the withdrawal of Afghan troops and the death of 13 Americans.

CNN reported that Biden’s chief national security officers, including White House National Security Adviser Sullivan, Secretary of State Tony Blincoln, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, have been the targets of criticism, and they will soon appear at a Capitol hearing. told

Meanwhile, the Taliban recaptured Afghanistan on the 16th, about 20 years after being expelled from Kabul by US forces.

The United States and its allies evacuated 5,500 Americans and 123,000 Afghans to a third country in just two weeks after that, but in the process, terrorism by IS-Khorasan (IS-K, the Afghan branch of an Islamic State) Public opinion cooled as 13 Americans were killed in the attack.

© News1 Designer Lee Ji-won

yoonge@news1.kr