Pentagon says key interviews in Afghanistan withdrawal review completed

The Pentagon said a special review panel examining the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has completed its main round of interviews with senior military and civilian officials.

Officials said the panel has also reviewed more than nine million documents related to the two-decade war and the chaotic withdrawal in August 2021.

Sean Parnell, who leads the review, said the investigation was launched under Donald Trump and aims to deliver one of the most comprehensive post-operation military assessments in recent history.

According to the Defense Department, dozens of current and former commanders were interviewed, including senior officers involved in planning and executing the withdrawal.

Among those consulted were top military leaders such as Mark Milley and Kenneth McKenzie Jr., along with other key officials involved in operations in Afghanistan.

Parnell said the scale of the review far exceeds previous efforts, noting that an earlier assessment led by Lloyd Austin examined only a few thousand documents, many of which remained classified.

The U.S. withdrawal in August 2021 led to the rapid collapse of the Afghanistan government and the return to power of the Taliban, triggering widespread criticism of how the exit was handled.

Scenes of chaos at Kabul airport and the speed of the government’s collapse raised questions about intelligence assessments and decision-making processes in Washington.

The current review aims to provide a more transparent and detailed account of events, identifying failures in planning, coordination and execution.

Officials say the findings are intended to help prevent similar outcomes in future military operations and evacuations. The panel’s work is ongoing, with analysts now cross-checking evidence and prior reviews, while a final report is expected to be released in the coming months.

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