Nearly three years since the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and the fallout that followed, a Republican senior investigator announced he’s resigning his position in protest over the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s investigation of the operation. The investigator, Jerry Dunleavy, is a former journalist and co-author of a book about the suicide bombing attack outside of the Kabul airport in August 2021 that killed 13 U.S. soldiers during the withdrawal.
In his resignation letter posted on X, Dunleavy accused the committee of failing to investigate President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Gens. Mark Milley and Kenneth McKenzie for their roles in the withdrawal.
Dunleavy said Committee Chair Michael McCaul, R-Texas, “failed to seek answers on & accountability for the debacle.”
In the letter, he accused McCaul and his team of being “derelict in their duties,” and said they did not pursue key documents or ask tough questions.
Dunleavy claims he repeatedly pressed the committee to pursue interviews with key military figures, which he said did not happened.
“I have also laid out a host of documents that we should request from the Pentagon — a request similarly rejected or ignored by senior staff,” he wrote.
Dunleavy also said he pushed the committee to focus on Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’ potential role, but to no avail.
“I have argued repeatedly that Vice President Kamala Harris should be held accountable for her role in the debacle in Afghanistan, especially now that she is the Democratic nominee for president of the United States and could soon be making national security decisions and directing foreign policy for our entire nation,” Dunleavy wrote.
Dunleavy’s resignation comes three years after the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban regained control of the country.
The Taliban is planning to celebrate the seizure of power during Freedom Day as members have been installing flags around Afghanistan’s cities that say “Afghanistan got freed.”
Committee Chair Michael McCaul has not publicly responded to Dunleavy’s resignation.
