One of the biggest criticisms of President Joe Biden is his administration’s botched handling of the withdrawal of U.S. military members from Afghanistan. Legal expert Samuel Dewey says that after 20 years of occupying the country, the U.S. military withdrew altogether.

While the drawdown of troops from Afghanistan began under former President Donald Trump, the Biden administration gets a lot of heat for the way in which it handled the ultimate withdrawal.

In addition to not providing enough support for U.S. troops and their families, as well as Afghan residents who had served as contractors for the U.S. government, the administration has been criticized for underestimating the ability of the Taliban to retake control of the country.

In the near future, it’s possible the Biden administration and Department of Defense could face congressional investigations, especially if Republicans are able to re-take control of either chamber of Congress following the midterm elections in November.

Did the Administration Abandon Allies?

There are many aspects of the Afghanistan withdrawal that could be the center of congressional investigations.

One is the fact that the withdrawal was done in what seems to be a haphazard fashion. Not a lot of advanced notice was given, and Afghans who served as contractors for the U.S. government — as well as their families — were left scrambling to try to find a way out of the country. Many of these people are still hoping for protection from the U.S.

Many of the worst visuals from the departure, in fact, were watching Afghanis hanging onto military planes as they were departing airports in the country.

This brings into question whether the U.S. government abandoned many of its allies who worked for them during the 20 years it spent in occupation.

Did Intelligence Underestimate the Taliban?

Reports after the fact show that the intelligence community believed it was possible that the government of Afghanistan might collapse anywhere from six months to one year following the U.S. withdrawal from the country. In actuality, it didn’t even take the Taliban two months to regain control.

That left many people to question what, if anything, the U.S. had actually accomplished during those 20 years of occupation. This is a central question that some members of Congress are interested in investigating further.

The U.S. had entered Afghanistan to overthrow the Taliban and install a new democratic government to provide stability to the region. In only a few weeks, though, that stability was undone, with a similar political regime taking control in a similar vein to before 9/11.

Republicans Would Take Aim at Afghanistan Withdrawal

Many prominent Republican members of Congress have already publicly called for congressional investigations into the Biden administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal. Should the GOP retake control of either the House of Representatives or Senate following the midterm elections, it’s likely this will be atop their priorities, attorney Samuel Dewey says.

Which chamber those investigations will take place in depends on which chamber Republicans are successful at controlling — if either. If that doesn’t happen, it’s possible the Biden administration may squeak by without having to worry about formal congressional inquiries — for now, at least.

About Samuel Dewey

Samuel Dewey is a successful lawyer and former Senior Counsel to the US House of Representatives Financial Services Committee and Chief Investigator and Counsel to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Mr Dewey specializes in: (1) white collar investigations, compliance, and litigation; (2) regulatory compliance and litigation; and (3) complex public policy matters. Within these fields Mr. Dewey is considered an expert in Congressional investigations and attendant matters. Mr. Dewey has a BA in Political Science, a JD from Harvard, and is admitted to practice law in Washington, DC, and Maryland.