House GOP Ends Military Investigation

The Republican-led congressional committee responsible for investigating America’s defeat in the war in Afghanistan has, unfortunately, fallen short of its duty by failing to hold the top military leaders accountable for their roles in the disastrous withdrawal. Chairman Michael McCaul and the House Foreign Affairs Committee were tasked with examining the chaotic exit orchestrated by the Biden-Harris Administration. However, McCaul’s approach has been to shield high-ranking military officials from scrutiny rather than seeking true accountability.

I recently resigned from my position as a senior investigator on the Committee due to my belief that key military figures, including General Mark Milley and General Frank McKenzie, must be held accountable for their actions in August 2021. McCaul’s refusal to acknowledge their responsibility is deeply concerning.

Evidence of McCaul’s efforts to exonerate the generals emerged during a phone call he had with Milley and McKenzie before their public hearing. In that conversation, McCaul explicitly stated his intention to protect the generals from difficult questions and assured them that he would use his position to shield them from any tough scrutiny. McCaul even previewed the questions he planned to ask, allowing the generals to prepare their defenses in advance. This approach was not only unorthodox but blatantly unfair, akin to a prosecutor assisting a defendant in crafting their defense.

McCaul’s leniency extended to the hearing’s format and content. Initially, he agreed to hold the generals’ testimony in a classified setting, which would have kept their responses hidden from public view. Under pressure from Gold Star families and myself, McCaul did allow a joint public hearing but refused to pursue individual interviews or separate hearings, thereby limiting the depth of the investigation.

Furthermore, McCaul altered the hearing’s title after receiving complaints from Milley, changing it from a title that implied accountability to one that seemed to exonerate the generals. This shift reflects a broader pattern of McCaul’s unwillingness to confront uncomfortable truths or hold powerful figures responsible.

The lack of rigorous questioning and failure to pursue critical lines of inquiry are indicative of a broader pattern of evasion and inaction. McCaul’s Committee has neglected to properly investigate key aspects of the evacuation, including the Abbey Gate bombing and the U.S. military’s reliance on the Taliban for security. This failure to act decisively and transparently undermines the trust of the American public and dishonors the memory of those who sacrificed so much.

Despite public commitments to the Gold Star families and the American people, McCaul has consistently sidestepped holding the generals accountable, allowing them to evade responsibility for the failures that led to one of the most significant military and strategic disasters in recent history.