The Defense Department is continuing its review of the US military's role in the Afghanistan conflict after officials determined that the draft version of the assessment was too narrow in scope, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th July, 2022) The Defense Department is continuing its review of the US military's role in the Afghanistan conflict after officials determined that the draft version of the assessment was too narrow in scope, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.
The draft version of the assessment, composed by authors affiliated with the National Defense University, was completed in March and covered the last 18 months of the conflict, the report said.
The assessment criticized the Defense Department leaders and their role in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan that left in the final phase 13 US soldiers dead, the report said.
Defense Department officials and the Joint Chiefs of Staff said they believed the draft was too limited in scope and did not present a thorough review so they sent it back, the report quoted an official as saying.
The Defense Department review is part of a series of after-action assessments by various US agencies intended to document the United States' role in the war in Afghanistan. The internal reports are yet to be released to the public.
The United States withdrew from Afghanistan last August after the Taliban (under UN sanctions for terrorism) quickly ascended to power, exacerbating the economic disarray and food shortages that have pushed the country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis.
