In an exclusive interview with Fox News' Will Cain, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed that the Department of Defense is set to make an announcement this week regarding the progress of the task force investigating the ill-executed withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
"We're moving, we're finding, we're investigating," Hegseth stated, indicating a proactive approach to the inquiry.
According to The Post Millennial, the Biden administration's hasty and disorderly withdrawal from Afghanistan resulted in the tragic loss of 13 American service members at Abbey Gate and the abandonment of millions of dollars worth of military equipment.
The administration had been entrusted with the task of safely extracting the U.S. military from the war-torn country, a mission that was met with widespread criticism due to its poor execution.
In a significant development earlier this year, Hegseth announced the capture of the ISIS terrorist responsible for the Abbey Gate suicide bombing. He emphasized that the initiative to apprehend the terrorist began under the Trump administration, with Pakistan's assistance. "Well, special thanks to Pakistan, indeed, they cooperated with us," Hegseth said.
"But this started, I want to be very clear, under this administration. We had our leadership, Director Radcliffe and others in CENTCOM and in the military, passing information to the Pakistanis who helped us action it after this President was elected."
Hegseth further elaborated on the collaborative efforts that led to the terrorist's capture, attributing it to the current administration's commitment to justice.
"So this is a President who saw what happened, the debacle in Afghanistan, and said, when I'm President, I will make sure those who perpetrated the death of 13 Americans and the injury of dozens others, we will find them. We will keep our word. We partnered with the Pakistanis based on intelligence we provided. They nabbed him, positively identified him. We've known that for a few days. He's on his way, I believe, already in the United States and will face justice," Hegseth said.
The aftermath of the withdrawal saw the extremist Islamic Taliban group regain control of Afghanistan, imposing strict laws against women, including barring them from public discourse, enforcing full-face coverings, and even prohibiting them from being seen through their home windows.
President Joe Biden faced severe backlash for the withdrawal, a promise made by the outgoing Trump administration. Despite his initial reluctance, Biden was compelled to honor the agreement made by his predecessor, President Donald Trump, who had pledged to end the U.S.'s involvement in the protracted Afghan war during his first term.
While many Republicans supported the withdrawal, they strongly objected to the manner in which it was executed. As the US military exited Afghanistan, desperate Afghans, particularly those who had worked for the U.S. Armed Forces and feared Taliban reprisals, attempted to flee the country, leading to heartbreaking scenes of Afghans clinging to departing planes.
The Biden administration's promise of refuge for these Afghans was met with complications as the second Trump administration discovered that many had not been adequately vetted, resulting in a backlog of refugee visas in Pakistan. The Trump administration had previously implemented a travel ban for countries unable to properly vet their citizens before allowing them to travel to the U.S..
Pakistan, burdened with these displaced individuals, has been attempting to repatriate them, blaming them for several terrorist incidents, including a 30-hour train hijacking by the Afghanistan-based Balochistan Liberation Army. The Jaffar Express, carrying 380 passengers, was seized, further highlighting the complex and volatile situation in the region.
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