Senate Republicans on Thursday released a report detailing the administration of US President Joe Biden's chaotic and last-minute efforts to fly American citizens out of Afghanistan last August as Kabul fell to the Taliban following the US military withdrawal.
James Risch, the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement that he compiled the report to describe “how the Biden administration’s failure of duty allowed for a quick Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and botched withdrawal that left hundreds of Americans and tens of thousands of Afghan partners behind".
Notably, the report says Mr Biden's administration did not convene a senior-level inter-agency meeting or make a final decision on removing Americans from Afghanistan until August 14 — mere hours before the Taliban took over Kabul.
“The summary of conclusions from the [Washington] DC meeting on August 14 included actions which should have been taken months in advance, including but not limited to: reaching out to third countries to serve as transit points, alerting locally employed US embassy staff about relocation and standing up a communication/manifest team for flights out of Kabul,” the report says.
It also says that “in the absence of guidance” from leaders in the State Department, “embassies in the region took initiative and established their own ad hoc task forces to work the Afghanistan evacuation".
In addition, the report notes that the State Department did not send Ambassador John Bass, who oversaw the evacuation effort, until August 17 as crowds of Afghan civilians flooded Hamad Karzai International Airport attempting to escape the violence.
A representative for the National Security Council rebutted the report’s findings as “cherry-picked notes from one meeting” and noted that the Biden administration had flown out about 2,000 of the approximately 17,000 Afghans who assisted the US military and their families in the months before the fall of Kabul.
“It was because of this type of planning and other efforts that we were able to facilitate the evacuation of more than 120,000 Americans, legal permanent residents, vulnerable Afghans and other partners,” the representative told The National.
Still, Mr Risch’s report details how “many of the gaps caused by the Biden administration’s poor planning actually had to be filled by congressional staff, independent veterans groups, non-governmental organisations and other private entities who co-ordinated pickups, documents and other means of continued evacuations and advocacy for US partners left behind".
At certain points during the evacuation, the deteriorating security situation around Kabul's airport prompted US authorities to refuse entry to Afghan visa-holders to board flights out of the country unless they had a direct contact with someone already inside the facility.
The report also outlines continued deficiencies in the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) programme for Afghans who helped the US military which spanned multiple administrations, noting the failure of the State and Defence departments to co-ordinate as well as insufficient staffing.
“These challenges predate this administration, but it is remarkable that the Biden administration took minimal action from the time of President Biden’s withdrawal announcement to address these deficiencies,” the report states.
A White House representative said the Biden administration took action to resuscitate the SIV programme after it stagnated under former president Donald Trump’s restrictive immigration policy.
“When president Trump freed thousands of Taliban fighters, undermined the Afghan government, withdrew troops with no plan on what to do next and dismantled our nation’s refugee programmes, Republicans on the committee did next to nothing,” a White House representative told The National.
“When we took office, we got to work rebuilding a refugee resettlement programme that had been systematically dismantled, revitalising [an SIV] programme that had not even interviewed people in 300 days and began contingency planning for any number of scenarios.”
Still, the US left most SIV holders in Afghanistan, putting them at risk of Taliban retaliation. It is unclear exactly how many US citizens remain in Afghanistan.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin updated Congress on the number of remaining US citizens in the country during a Senate briefing on Wednesday, though that figure is not publicly available as it took place in a classified setting.
James Inhofe, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called “their overall testimony lacking".
“For a classified briefing, I would have liked to hear more details regarding the inter-agency planning process, nature of the terrorist threat in Afghanistan today and their counter-terrorism plans going forward,” Mr Inhofe said in a statement after the briefing.
However, he noted that he had secured commitments from both Mr Blinken and Mr Austin to give evidence on Afghanistan again in a public setting.
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
The%20specs
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
AWARDS
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Honeymoonish
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Pathaan
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3 (Sterling 46', De Bruyne 65', Gundogan 70')
Aston Villa 0
Red card: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
