Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered a full, comprehensive review of the 2021 U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling the operation “one of America’s darkest and deadliest international moments.”
In a newly released memo, Hegseth cited the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians in the Abbey Gate suicide bombing during the chaotic evacuation under former President Joe Biden. Hegseth, appointed by President Donald Trump, said the Defense Department has a duty to deliver full transparency and accountability.
JUST IN:
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) May 20, 2025
Defense Secretary @PeteHegseth just released this memo announcing there will be a full, comprehensive review of the U.S. Military Withdrawal from Afghanistan that led to the deaths of 13 US Service Members and 170 civilians in a suicide bombing.
Thank you @PeteHegseth! pic.twitter.com/QfuQYZ6NGz
A Special Review Panel led by senior advisor Sean Parnell will reexamine prior investigations, sources, and decision-making tied to the withdrawal. The review aims to restore public trust and honor those who served in America’s longest war. The move marks a sharp rebuke of Biden-era handling of the exit and signals Trump’s commitment to revisiting key decisions made during his predecessor’s term.
