Unflinching Review: U.S. Commission Probes 20-Year Afghanistan War

A congressional commission began its first public hearing on the 20-year U.S. war in Afghanistan, vowing to examine key decisions without assigning blame. The commission aims to extract lessons for future conflicts. The hearing coincides with the nearing anniversary of the final U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

A congressional commission commenced its inaugural public hearing on the 20-year U.S. war in Afghanistan on Friday, vowing to be 'unflinching' in scrutinizing key decision-making processes and their executors.

Co-chair Colin Jackson emphasized that while accountability is vital, the real focus is on learning lessons for future engagements. The hearing comes close to the third anniversary of the chaotic U.S. troop withdrawal that marked the end of America's longest conflict.

Approximately 800,000 U.S. servicemembers served in Afghanistan post-9/11. During the conflict, 2,238 U.S. soldiers lost their lives, and nearly 21,000 were wounded, with independent estimates placing Afghan casualties at over 100,000.

The 16-member commission plans to present its report by August 2026. Colin Jackson, a former Pentagon official, highlighted the unprecedented nature of this comprehensive study authorized by Congress.

'We need to take a critical look at both our successes and failures,' said Jackson. The session took place at the Veterans of Foreign War headquarters, where former U.S. Ambassador Ronald Neumann urged an incisive review of policy implementations, noting lessons unlearned from the Vietnam War.

Neumann criticized the short tours for top officers, equating them to 'institutional lobotomy' due to the disruption in transferring critical knowledge.