Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – The Trump transition team is reportedly compiling a list of senior U.S. military officers—current and former—who played key roles in the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, with an eye on potential courts-martial, including charges as severe as treason, according to a U.S. official and a source familiar with the plan.
The effort, spearheaded by former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Matt Flynn, is being framed as a comprehensive review of the U.S. engagement in Afghanistan, from its inception to the chaotic withdrawal. A proposed commission would investigate military decision-making, the execution of the withdrawal, and whether top leaders bear personal accountability.
“They’re taking it very seriously,” said a person with direct knowledge of the plans.
President-elect Donald Trump has sharply criticized the withdrawal as a “humiliation” and the “most embarrassing day in the history of our country.” However, legal experts note that treason charges may face significant hurdles, as military officers executed the Biden administration’s directive to exit Afghanistan.
The withdrawal has drawn bipartisan criticism. A 2022 report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction blamed both the Trump and Biden administrations for the disarray. Trump negotiated a 2020 deal with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. troops and release 5,000 Taliban fighters, which the Biden administration followed through on, underestimating the Afghan government’s ability to hold off Taliban forces.
Trump’s choice for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, has echoed these sentiments, calling for a shake-up of Pentagon leadership. In his book The War on Warriors, Hegseth labeled the Afghanistan withdrawal a “debacle,” emphasizing the need for accountability and a military overhaul.
The Trump transition team has not yet commented on the reported plans.
