House Republicans and Democrats issue dueling documents casting blame for mistakes made in US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Republicans and Democrats released dueling documents on the deadly August 2021 US withdrawal from Afghanistan on Monday, with Republicans accusing President Joe Biden of demanding a US exit no matter the cost and claiming his administration prioritized optics over personnel security.

The reports come as former President Donald Trump’s campaign seeks to make the decisions surrounding the exit a key issue in the final weeks before the presidential election.

Republicans in their report highlight public comments from Biden administration officials that did not reflect the reality on the ground, while Democrats claimed in their memorandum that the GOP is manipulating the facts.

The release — after years of investigation by the Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee — of the report by GOP Chairman Rep Michael McCaul and a minority memorandum by Democratic Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks underscore how partisan the debate over the frenzied US exit from Afghanistan has become. The reports also thrust the evacuation back into the spotlight during the lead-up to the election as the GOP has used the evacuation to attack Vice President Kamala Harris.