Q: Why Did It Take So Long Afghanistan After-Action Review? A: Take The Time To Get This Right

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters during a March 2023 briefing that the administration’s after-action review of the Afghanistan withdrawal — expected in mid-April 2023 — took so long because the administration wanted to “take the time to get this right.” The review, which had been promised by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan (“the hot wash that Jake had referred to”), would come nearly 20 months after the chaotic August 2021 withdrawal that saw 13 U.S. service members killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport.

The Afghanistan Withdrawal Context

August 2021 chaos: Withdrawal in August 2021 saw chaotic scenes at Kabul airport.
Taliban takeover: Taliban overran Afghan government as U.S. forces withdrew.
Service member deaths: 13 U.S. service members killed in August 26 suicide bombing.
Abbey Gate: Suicide bombing occurred at Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport.
Civilian casualties: Over 170 Afghan civilians also killed in the attack.

The After-Action Review

Mid-April 2023: Review expected release in mid-April.
“Hot wash” framing: Sullivan had previously referred to the process as a “hot wash.”
National security review: Formal review across multiple agencies.
Lessons learned: Standard process for major military/diplomatic events.
Public release: Expected public release of findings.

Jean-Pierre’s Timeline Defense

“Take the time”: Press secretary justified length as necessary for accuracy.
“Get this right”: Emphasized importance of thorough review.
Process specifics avoided: Refused to discuss specifics of process.
Previous Sullivan comments: Referenced Sullivan’s prior public comments.
No apology: Offered no apology for review delay.

The 20-Month Timeline

August 2021: Withdrawal completed in August 2021.
Review announcement: Sullivan announced review process.
April 2023 expected: Release expected nearly 20 months after events.
Congressional pressure: Congress had demanded more timely response.
Political implications: Extended timeline created political vulnerability.

The Military Dimension

Pentagon review: Department of Defense conducted separate review.
General McKenzie testimony: CENTCOM Commander Gen. Frank McKenzie testified about withdrawal.
Centcom reports: Central Command produced detailed after-action reports.
Military accountability: Questions about military accountability for decisions.
Joint review structure: Joint review spanning military and civilian agencies.

The Intelligence Community Role

Intelligence warnings: Questions about pre-withdrawal intelligence warnings.
Taliban advance predictions: Predictions about speed of Taliban advance.
Afghan government collapse: Predictions about Afghan government stability.
Intelligence sharing: Intelligence sharing with military planners.
Classified findings: Classified findings would remain restricted.

The State Department Role

Diplomatic aspects: State Department handled diplomatic dimensions.
Evacuation logistics: Evacuation of American citizens and Afghan allies.
Special Immigrant Visas: Special Immigrant Visa program for Afghan allies.
Embassy staff: Embassy staff evacuation.
Continuing obligations: Ongoing obligations to evacuated Afghan allies.

Political Accountability Questions

Republican criticism: Republicans persistently criticized withdrawal execution.
Congressional investigations: Multiple congressional investigations launched.
McCaul investigation: Rep. Michael McCaul led House Foreign Affairs investigation.
Memorial events: Ongoing memorial events for fallen service members.
Family testimony: Gold Star families testified about losses.

The Communications Challenge

Narrative control: Administration sought narrative control of withdrawal.
Success framing: Administration framed withdrawal as accomplishing mission.
Military perspective: Military professional perspective often differed.
Public perception: Public perception remained predominantly negative.
Political damage: Significant political damage from withdrawal.

The Review Scope

Decision-making review: Review of key decision-making points.
Planning assessment: Assessment of withdrawal planning.
Execution evaluation: Evaluation of withdrawal execution.
Interagency coordination: Interagency coordination evaluation.
Lessons learned: Lessons learned for future operations.

Future Implications

Military planning: Implications for future military operations.
Non-combatant evacuation: Non-combatant evacuation planning.
Afghan resettlement: Continuing Afghan resettlement efforts.
International alliances: Impact on alliance relationships.
Counterterrorism: Counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan.

Key Takeaways

Jean-Pierre defended the 20-month delay in releasing the Afghanistan withdrawal after-action review.
The press secretary said the administration wanted to “take the time to get this right.”
The review, referred to by Sullivan as the “hot wash,” was expected in mid-April 2023.
The Afghanistan withdrawal had occurred in August 2021, with 13 U.S. service members killed.
Press secretary refused to provide specifics on the review process or timeline.
The delay created ongoing political vulnerability about administration accountability.

Transcript Highlights

The following quotations are drawn from an AI-generated Whisper transcript of the briefing and should be considered unverified pending official transcript release.

“We wanted to make sure that we were, take the time to get this right.” — Karine Jean-Pierre
“I’m not gonna get into the specifics on the process or the timeline of it.” — Karine Jean-Pierre
“I know that Jake had talked, you guys have asked him about this many times.” — Karine Jean-Pierre
“In mid-April that Kirby just referred to. Is that the hot wash that Jake had referred to going back to basically the midst, right?” — Reporter question
“I’m not turning down this review coming out, but why did it take so long?” — Reporter question
“That’s what you should be expecting in mid-April.” — Karine Jean-Pierre

Full transcript: 122 words transcribed via Whisper AI.