The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s renewed probe into President Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan was cheered by the war’s veterans, who say their demand for accountability is long overdue.
The chaotic U.S. exit from Afghanistan in August 2021 left 13 U.S. troops dead, Kabul in the hands of the Taliban and billions of dollars of military equipment in enemy hands. The scenes of panic and desperation amid the pullout remain seared in the memory of veterans and leave many of them with a lasting sense of betrayal.
“We just want to know why this happened,” said Cole Lyle, an Afghanistan veteran and executive director of Mission Roll Call, a veterans advocacy group.