Quotes a meeting of Foreign Affairs will come to order. Discuss how the biden administrati■i unconditionally handed over afghanistan to the taliban terrorist organization with his refusal to enforce the doha agreement. Todays hearing comes at a crucial moment in this committees investigation into the Biden Administration catastrophic withdrawal from afghanistan. Four months after President Biden announced a withdrawal the senior military advisors and its own Intelligence Community repeatedly issued dire warnings about the damage this would create. At the same time i a, along with other republica members of congress virgil President Biden shuffled the conditions of the doha agreement. Prepare for the eventual fallout of our withdrawal. He ignored us including his own state Department Personnel who issued a dissent cable in july warning of the dire situation on the ground. Instead the tr became imminent the white house and state Department Leadership stuck their heads in the center so bad the state department waitedlafter the teld kabul to request an emergency evacuation also known as a neo. As a result of the Biden Administration failed plan u. S. Military is forced to conduct this emergency around by tens of thousands of taliban terrorist put simply President Biden on secretary blinken of at risk to their incompetence and willful blindness than the worst possible outcome a terrorist gate in august of 26, 2021 that killed 13 u. S. Service members wounded 45 more, and kille■1d more than 170 afghn civilians. It was a deadliest day the United States in afghanistan and over a today we have some of the Family Members of the Service Members killed that advocate in the audien. They are because they want accountability for their childrens deaths. Im going to get them answers, e answers they■2 deserve. And to save my cards on the other side of the elbow time to spend the disaster of being President Trumps fault they will claim the dohdent bidens withdrawal. And that he had no choice and this is false. Too that end i want to remind everybody of two critical facts. First doha agreement was conditions based conditioned our witnesses here negotiated. And can tell you those conditions are not being met by the calvin and theyre still not being met today that tell them o flourish in afghanistan the truth is to present biden wanted to withdrawal agreement. If you wanted to, he could have. He did it with other of President Trumps agreement flickr made in mexico for a for secondPresident Biden himset even if the doha agreement had never been signed he still would have whdrawn all u. S. Troops from afghanistan exactly the way that he did. When asked by George Stephanopoulos quote he we you have withdrawn troops like this even a President Trump had not made that built the taliban President Biden replied quote i wouldve tried to figure how to withdrawal those troops yes. Our fitness today ambassador khalilzad. So ive known for many years. Reconciliation of the President Trump where he negotiated the doha agreement. Was asked to remain on by President Biden. November 23 ambassador khalilzad appeared before the committee for nearly 12 hour closeddoor transcribed interview. ■u voluntarily i might add and we thank you for that. In that interview one thing was made clear of the core problem is not the doha agreement it was a president who refused to enforce it. I want to thank our witness for being here t■oday. Ambassador khalilzad i believe you have valuable information to share with this committee. I know you have chosen to do so voluntarily. When i dos hopes to do in the same candy showed in november. I read my use, you are not forced to appear here. We could have done that. You are doing this as in a patriot and an american. And who is in the middle of all this from the very beginning with so many facts to share with this committee thank you sir for being here today with that i recognize the Ranking Member. Thank you, mr. Chairman let me begin by also thank you hearing my call for transparency. November 2023 afghanistan hearing. Yesterday at your staff sent written notice of your personal commitment to publicly release all transcripts of interviews held duringongress and the committees investigation into the United States withdrawal from afghanistan after they are finalized on february 29. This indeed is the right thing to do. The American People have funded our bipartisan oversight work we owe them full transparency. Not just misleading cherry picked specifics. Such transparency is critical for any investigation so i strongly hope that your commitment to make transcripts of public will extend to the over site investigates you have initiated in this congress in which witnesses have been questioned behind closed doors we must not let this committees activities become another typical move in a partisan game. I am at that let me think ambassador for appearing before our Committee Ambassador you served under three different president s in a variety of capacities during americas 20 years of war and effort in afghanistan. Your insights on the august 2021 withdrawal the many decision points that led to the events of august understanding. Red 20 year war deserves comprehensive and bipartisan oversight. But the title of this hearing how the Biden Administration failed to enforce the doha agreement is its not titled the Biden Administrations failed doha agreement with the tell bob thats because it was nacho biden whra deal. It was in fact his republican predecessor that made the agreement with the taliban that committed the uniteaw all of oum afghanistan. Nor is the hearing titled how the Trump Administration failed to live up to its commitments. But with root troops anyway. That would require scrutiny of the deal since its inception under the Trump Administration. I must say this because for some of my republican colleagues who open challenges of a guinness in begin the day after bidens inauguration that is not to say the Biden Administration is beyond congressional review or theres nothing to learn from those eig■,■ . ,ht months. That is an eight month snapshot out of 28 years. Ixation is oversight malpractice. At worst its historical its hil revisionism politically committed to President Biden inherited. Lets be clear both President Biden and a President Trump sought to end our forever war in afghanistan. President biden ultimately achieve that■z goal. Our core interests have not. And in those interests with the killing of al qaeda and 911 mastermind. In 2022 thi blame. Grappling with reality as well as the ones we were goat dont. With the sacred constitution responsibility we have to oversee the state department u. S. Foreign policy. Too that end i want to acknowledge ambassador dan smith statement which is submitted for ambassador smith served for almost four decades at the state department return secretary blinkens request to leave the after action review and independent review of the departments actions over the course of generally 20 until august of 2021. Related to the nancys withdrawal. The result of his review drawn for more than one or 50me interviews are not just invaluable actionable provide a roadmap regularly to support the crises in management capacity and its single greatest asset, itspeopl. Now ambassador, i know you have previously set for a transcript interview on todays subject thank you for that that is a testimony of your vast knowledge to share and your deep commitment to america and to our National Security. I look forward to your testimony and i hope the American People can hear today but we have already heard behind closed doors. Other members of the committee are remindingpening statements are to be submitted for the record. We are pleased to have your today the honorable Zalmay Khalilzad before us today served as a special representative for afghanistan at the state department from september 18 until october 2021. Your full statement will be made part of the record i now recognize ambassador khalilzad for hispe statements. Next thank you. Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member st committee, i welcome the opportunity to talk with you in afghanistan during my service as the specialnd 2021. An september 2018 the trump too help negotiate a Framework Agreement for the safe withdrawal of u. S. Forces. The taliban and the Afghan Government u. S. Counterterrorism concerns. And set the stage for afghans to start negotiating an end to the war in their country. Of 2018 te president s decision was to bring the American Forces home. Several factors have contributed to this decision. On this war hae on for too long with no end in sight. The opportunity cost was too high. The United States needed to focus on Great Power Competition that is in china, russia, and the threat from iran. Afghanistan no longer it was was central to the war on terror. The goal of transforming afghanistan into a modern and democratic states had been unrealistic despite best efforts the country had huge governance problems and rampant levels of■6 co that administration recognize the potential risks involved in this policy. The greatest risk potential threat to u. S. Forces during withdrawal. The british withdrawal in 1842 as soviet in 1988 and 1989 had been very bloodied. Rin once again becoming the terrorist threat they can sue nancy tolman. U. S. Interest in our allies. Third was the loss of gains in this policy both inside the government and outside. The president determined the withdrawal was in the u. S. National interest. After more than a year ofok■ negotiations unto 20 we reached two agreements. One with a telephone t other with the Afghan Government. These provide a framework for u. W■ terrorism into afghan negotiations within the telephone and the afghan republic a permanent ceasefir in future relations between the United States and afghanistan. Were phased withdrawal of u. S. Forces over a 14 month period afghanistan was not to be used by any groupr individual to threaten the security of the United States and its allies. Enter afghan negotiations, importantly the taliban committed not to attack u. S. Forces once the agreement was signed. This was critical the taliban adhered to it killing no coalition fighter or u. S. Soldier during the entire withdrawal. The first phase of withdrawal lasted 135 days in which the u. S. Forces were reduced to by the time it President Trump left forces had been reduced to 2500. The u. S. Retained the right to come to the defense of the Afghan Forces attacked them we exercise this right as needed. During the negotiations between the afghan republic and the taliban which start on septembet make any significant progress. After november 2020 election president elect the bidens team asked me too stay on. The administration three options. One, withdrawal from the doha agreement. To come implement the agreement but with changes such extension of the timeline to the conclusion of a political agreement between the taliban and the afghan governmen are insisting on leaving behind and afghanistan the counterterror force. Orithdrawal of the remaining forces without such linkages. The president announced in april of 2021 we would add four months of the timetable for withdrawal. For a total of 18 months. The withdrawal is not conditioned on a political agreement between the two afghan sides because it was believed such conditionality would risk a return to War Without End and entrap the United States into reversing cour im sending more forces again. It was also decided over the horizon capabilities would allow us to monitor and respond to terror threats in the u. S. From afghan upon projecting social and political gains the approach was to advocate for key values in the course of enter afghan negotiations by pressing the taliban on respecting womens rights and human rights. The withdrawal receded based on the new extended timelinee assen government would it remain in rr its forces would defend it and fight the taliban during the withdrawal for some time after words. This assumption and formed our ans. Bm although reasonable the sanction turned out to be wrong for the situation on the ground began to shift significantly and in favor of the taliban. In 2021 were at the gates of kabul. We had a lastminute success in persuading the taliban to refrain from entering kabul. And instead to hold talks with government to reach for step toh sides agreed. But this fellow fall apart when he surprisingly fled the country which caused the now leaders of the Afghan Military and police to instantly disingr developmeng into kabul this abrupt series of events to react, adapt, and improvised is not of this have been foreseen and our plans withdrawal by the end of august. The final two weeks of chaos at the airport the tragic loss of 13 brave americans in a terrorist attack and what remains hotly debated. The events of those final days should not diminish the achievements me after 911 we sent our forces to afghanistan to decimate al qaeda there. This was accomplished and presents a major win for the security of the United States. We a are grateful to those who sacrifice made this possible and to their families. The struggle for afghanistan is not over. Then afghanistans final chapter is certainly not the seed of the values we planted may well bear fruit over time. It would be a mistake to turn ou back on the country. The american approach Going Forward must take current realities in afghanistan. The region and the world into account while remaining guided elsewhere by our enduring values. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to echo your comments that are veterans there service was not in vain they protected this nation for 20 years from a major terrorist attack like 911. We thank them for that we also do think the parents of the marine corps Corporal Hunter lopez and marine corps sgt nicole who are here today. To the lopez family and thus the goldstar famines be honor your sacrifice and it november and you testified before this committee and transcribed interview you presented to the Biden Administration and to the president basically three options on the doha agreement. One to basically ignore and unconditionally withdraw up to, tear it up in three to enforce its conditions against the taliban. Testified you and secretary blinken both recommended to President Biden that he enforced dohas condition. But instead the president ignored were disagreed and chose to ignore the doha conditions and unconditionally withdrawal is that correct . Rex i think the opportunity for me too briefhe predent you said correct. And the options he had. And it was clear that it would l withdrawal happens after there is any0 agreement between the government and the taliban. And that was broadly supported thatdea. But upon discussion, deliberation and consultation ae allies to favored the withdrawal after there was an agreement between the government and the taliban. But there was a judgment that if we did that and that was not part of the doha agr■ eement. It could result in a protracted delay asould not be certain when and if the afghans would reach an agreement. If there was a risk of going back to war and perhaps sending more troops the decision was not to pursue that. And there was broad support for that decision. Quek stewart recommendation to the president was to enforce a doha was conditions, correct . That was part of the agreement, yes. We stated this was a condition based agreement it was a package deal. There were but we did depend on the taliban delivered on their agreement to correct the president disagreed with you and chose not to enforce the conditions . Whats i described a discussion that occurred and the judgment that was made. Lexi conditions were notk enforced and as a result the taliban to control the afghanistan today, correct . It is clear that the taliban are in control. But i would put the responsibility for what happened largely on the shoulders of the Afghan Government leadership for not standing for their government, for their system and the values provokes i agree. The president s actions were cowardice and fling his country as a coward. Not a good example. Let me turn to that meeting you had in doha between yourself, jena mckenzie and the taliban lead y said the taliban offered to give the United States control of kabul for the purposes of evacuation but that. When asked by my committee at your interview whether the taliban vieweha quote green light to take over kabul you said quote i think that is clear. Do you agree with that i agree we had made an agreement for the taliban not to and for a delegation to come from kabul and president god h