Lawrence Tabas: Pennsylvanians demand accountability for Afghanistan failures

This week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced Congress and the American people to answer questions about his key role in orchestrating one of the biggest failures of foreign policy in our nation’s history: Joe Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The disastrous and hasty removal of U.S. troops left 13 service members dead, Americans trapped in Afghanistan, U.S. military equipment in the hands of the Taliban, and our enemy emboldened. The United States is now less safe because of the incompetence of both Biden and Blinken. In Biden’s eyes, the mission was an “extraordinary success” – but it is clear to Americans everywhere, and especially to 13 Gold Star families, that the withdrawal was nothing short of a tragic disaster.

From the early stages of the mission, Blinken was misleading the American people.

In March, Blinken said the administration would bring “a responsible end to the conflict, to remove our troops from harm’s way, and to ensure that Afghanistan can never again become a haven for terrorists.” We now know all too well that this was a blatant lie. The disastrous withdrawal led to a Saigon-type evacuation of the U.S. embassy and chaos and death at the Kabul airport. It left a power vacuum that has emboldened Islamic terrorist organizations, armed the Taliban, and made Afghanistan a safe haven for al-Qaida once again. The disaster has “absolutely inspired jihadists all over the world.”

Blinken lied again in April when he reassured our allies in Afghanistan of our commitment to them. Not only did Biden and Blinken leave behind thousands of Afghans who risked their lives for the U.S. – including the very interpreter who rescued Biden in 2008 — they handed the Taliban what amounted to a kill list of U.S. citizens and allies. Their utter incompetence in trusting the Taliban remains astonishing.

Even in August, Blinken reiterated the United States’ “pledge to let people freely depart Afghanistan,” while sticking to Biden’s withdrawal deadline, leaving Americans – including children – trapped behind terrorist lines. In the days that followed the evacuation, the fate of Pennsylvania families abandoned in Afghanistan remained unknown.

Just last week, Blinken misled the American people by claiming he was not aware of any hostage situation taking place in Afghanistan. The very next day, he admitted that Americans were being held hostage, saying, “As of now, the Taliban are not permitting the charter flights to depart.”

As Biden and Blinken continue to downplay the reality of this disaster, Pennsylvanians deserve answers and accountability. As members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Democrats Rep. Chrissy Houlahan and Rep. Susan Wild had the prime opportunity to demand answers. Given their track records of deflecting blame away from the Biden administration, however, it came as no surprise that they both put politics over accountability at the hearing.

Rep. Conor Lamb’s continued refusal to condemn Biden’s catastrophic failure also speaks volumes—he clearly values the endorsement of an unpopular president for his Senate bid over the safety of Americans and our allies who are in danger.

Pennsylvanians deserve better from their representatives. Houlahan, Wild, and Lamb have sat back as Biden has refused to personally take responsibility or hold any member of his administration accountable for the horrific consequences of this withdrawal. Meanwhile, because of Biden and Blinken, the Taliban is empowered and America is less safe.

It is not hyperbole to call this withdrawal an abject failure. Nothing can bring back the lives lost, but we will demand accountability. Blinken must be held accountable for his efforts in spearheading the deadly withdrawal and for misleading the American people every step of the way.

Lawrence Tabas is the chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania.