White House spokesman John Kirby told staffers via email on Wednesday that there was “no use” in responding to veterans’ concerns about the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal — but he mistakenly also sent the message to Fox News. The White House has endured ongoing criticism over the 2021 withdrawal, which many have deemed a disastrous operation and a leadership failure in Washington. As the third anniversary of the withdrawal approached, Kirby’s email advised staffers that addressing veterans’ opinions on the matter was a waste of time, inadvertently sending it to the right-leaning news outlet as well.
“Obviously no use in responding. A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe,” Kirby, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, wrote in a reply-all email chain with White House staffers and Fox News. When the outlet inquired about why he sent the email, Kirby responded that he “didn’t realize you were on the chain.” The email thread began when Fox News contacted the White House regarding criticism of the 2021 withdrawal, which included four quotes from veterans condemning the operation. Kirby’s reply was sent while he was traveling with President Joe Biden during a visit to New York on the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The withdrawal from Afghanistan was originally planned by the Trump administration in 2020 but was carried out by the Biden administration in a disorganized and hasty manner. Insufficient planning and leadership, coupled with an incorrect prediction that the Taliban wouldn’t take control so swiftly, resulted in a chaotic situation for U.S. military forces on the ground and led to the deaths of 13 servicemembers.
Biden, as commander-in-chief, ultimately decided to engage in the hasty withdrawal, but the Defense Department planned and executed it. Not a single senior or even mid-level commander was reprimanded for the catastrophic pullout, and no one from the Biden-Harris administration has resigned. For her part, Harris told CNN after the disastrous exit from Afghanistan she was the “last one in the room” with Biden when the decision was made.
After U.S. forces withdrew, the Taliban swiftly took control of Afghanistan and established a safe haven for other terrorist organizations, including Al Qaeda. Approximately $7 billion in U.S. military equipment was left behind and is now accessible to the Taliban. Despite extensive criticism, the Biden administration continues to defend the withdrawal as the right policy decision. The administration has also placed blame for the chaos caused by the operation on the former Trump administration, citing Trump’s signing of the original withdrawal agreement.
Disclaimer: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.