President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team is reportedly [1] considering the creation of a commission to investigate the Biden-Harris administration’s 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members and widespread chaos.
🚨 NBC: Trump team creating list of military officers to court martial.
WOW. pic.twitter.com/WJoizkFDHZ [2]
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) November 17, 2024 [3]
According to a recent report by NBC News, the commission would aim to gather details on the military decision-making process and hold accountable those responsible for the controversial operation.
Two individuals familiar with the discussions revealed to NBC News that Trump’s team is seriously exploring the establishment of a commission to examine the events surrounding the withdrawal.
🚨 BREAKING: Trump team puts together a list of military officers to court martial involved in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal – NBC
Charges of “TREASON” are being considered for some officers…
They are also getting together a potential commission to investigate the… pic.twitter.com/ruAcXCvFBd [4]
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 17, 2024 [5]
The effort would focus on identifying military officers involved in the decision-making process and scrutinizing how the withdrawal was executed.
“They’re taking it very seriously,” one source told the outlet.
The commission’s scope may extend to determining whether the actions of certain military leaders could warrant legal consequences, including potential charges as severe as treason.
NBC News reported: “Officials working on the transition are considering creating a commission to investigate the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, including gathering information about who was directly involved in the decision-making for the military, how it was carried out, and whether the military leaders could be eligible for charges as serious as treason.”
The Biden administration faced bipartisan criticism over the chaotic withdrawal, which culminated in the Taliban’s rapid takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.
The collapse of the U.S.-backed Afghan government led to mass panic as thousands of American citizens, foreign nationals, and Afghans sought to flee the country.
Thirteen U.S. service members lost their lives in a suicide bombing during the evacuation at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.
In the aftermath, Trump labeled the withdrawal “the most embarrassing, incompetent, and humiliating event in the history of the United States.”
He has since made the withdrawal a focal point of his critique of the Biden-Harris administration’s foreign policy.
Trump’s attention to the withdrawal has included honoring the 13 fallen service members during a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.
However, his visit to Section 60, which houses graves of service members killed in the War on Terror, was marred by controversy.
NPR reported a “verbal and physical altercation” between Trump campaign staff and cemetery officials over filming at the site, allegations that Trump’s team denied.
The families of the fallen troops issued statements defending Trump, accusing Kamala Harris of politicizing the incident after she referred to the Arlington visit as a “political stunt.”
In contrast, Harris’s campaign accused Trump of leaving the Biden administration with “zero plans for an orderly withdrawal—only a dangerous, costly mess.”
Trump had initiated negotiations with the Taliban during his presidency and reached a conditional agreement, but a final withdrawal plan was not implemented before he left office in January 2020.
Joe Biden, against the advice of some of his military advisers, decided to withdraw all U.S. forces by September 2021.
The decision enabled the Taliban to quickly capture Kabul, resulting in the collapse of the Afghan government.
The chaotic withdrawal, marked by images of desperate Afghans clinging to planes and a deadly airport bombing, remains a source of contention in U.S. politics.
If Trump’s transition team moves forward with the commission, it could provide new insights into one of the most criticized moments of the Biden presidency.
Whether the effort leads to accountability for those involved remains to be seen, but it underscores Trump’s commitment to revisiting and addressing the consequences of the Afghanistan withdrawal.