IBX News

In 2001, following then-Sen. Joe Biden's unanimous support for waging war in Afghanistan, he asserted that the endeavor necessitated the presence of American troops on the ground. He also foresaw severe global judgment if the U.S. did not persevere, emphasizing the risk of letting "the hope of a liberated Afghanistan evaporate." The concept was initially received with resounding agreement but has since seen varying levels of scrutiny and skepticism.

One key issue often highlighted by Israeli officials is that of conceptual failure. In conversations with Israeli officials nowadays, there's a high likelihood that they will bring up the term "conceptzia." This term dates back to the inquiry commission established after the surprise Yom Kippur war of 1973 and is used to describe not only operational intelligence failures but also conceptual ones, according to an article by Politico. Similar to the past, Israel's esteemed security services based their policy on a flawed assumption—this time, that Hamas was primarily focused on maintaining control over Gaza and had shifted away from engaging in large-scale confrontations with Israel. This concept seemed logical until Hamas tragically disproved it by causing the death of more than 1,400 Israelis on October 7. Jake Sullivan, the president's national security adviser, faced widespread amusement in Washington after stating in a speech on September 29 that "the Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in two decades." His remarks aged poorly, especially considering the subsequent violent attack by Hamas, but even without that event, they should have raised concerns.

The stability within and beyond Gulf nations further compounds these complexities. Beyond the Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising stable petro-monarchies, the region consists of failed or failing states in an arc, according to an article by Politico. Four countries are entangled in civil war. Egypt, the most populous Arab country, is on the brink of default, while Lebanon grapples with one of the worst economic crises in modern history. The list of crises extends, and the Middle East appears calm only when overlooked. However, that is precisely what the Biden administration has attempted to do. American officials have faced challenges in defining a "Biden doctrine" for the region, but Sullivan came closest in his September speech: "We want to depressurize, deescalate and ultimately integrate the Middle East region," he said. To achieve this, the administration leaned on three policy strands: promoting Arab-Israeli normalization, pursuing diplomacy with Iran, and advancing efforts at economic integration. These strands were intended to complement one another, alleviating tensions from the Trump years, establishing a new security alliance in the region, and fostering a virtuous circle of stability and growth.

Moreover, within domestic politics there are ongoing efforts for transparency regarding Afghanistan. The House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) under the leadership of Chairman McCaul, alongside Oversight and Accountability Subcommittee Chairman Mast, has consistently sought transparency from the Biden Administration, according to a press release by GOP gov. Chairman McCaul has issued over 10 letters requesting documents related to the Afghanistan withdrawal with the Department of State exhibiting reluctance to disclose failures of Biden Administration. Successfully subpoenaing Afghanistan Dissent Channel Cable McCaul obtained HFAC Members' access to communication from State Department Embassy Kabul employees expressing concerns about withdrawal preceding collapse.