Pete Hegseth Begins Playing the "Blame Gram" About Who Is Responsible for the Loss of Afghanistan and the Withdrawal Debacle -- He Better Be Careful Because There Is Plenty of Blame to Go Around and a Lot of It Is Trump’s

 

On 19 October 2026 the Washington Post ran this below article about the utter debacle of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal (a polite euphemism for abandonment) in accordance with the previsions of the first term Trump negotiated Doha Agreement.  In the best traditions of revisionist historians, it seems the Trump Administration led by none other than Secretary of Defense (aka War) Pete Hegseth, Arguably the Worst Secretary of Defense in the past 76 Years who Is Busy Replacing Our Military’s Most Competent Leaders with Clearly Inferior Replacements (https://old-soldier-colonel.blogspot.com/2026/06/pete-hegseth-arguably-worst-secretary.html), really wants to begin playing the “blame game” without realizing there is plenty of blame to go around and a lot of it is Trump’s. Next below is a taste of the WaPo article and below that is comment this Old Colonel posted in the article’s comment section explaining why Hegseth is cull of crap.  ENJOY

 

Military leaders brace for release of Hegseth’s Afghanistan review

President Donald Trump focused on the deadly withdrawal of U.S. forces during his 2024 campaign, vowing to hold people accountable for decisions made under the Biden administration.

By Dan Lamothe1 9 October 2026

Current and former U.S. military leaders are bracing for the Trump administration to release its review of the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan as soon as this month, people familiar with the matter said, a move that would revive public discourse of the 20-year war’s traumatic end days ahead of the midterm elections.

The review, directed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, includes interviews with numerous top officers who oversaw aspects of the military’s departure and the chaotic evacuation operation launched upon the Afghan government’s collapse five years ago.

The article goes on to discuss the “Blame Game” Hegseth is trying to play shifting all the responsibility for the Afghanistan airlift debacle to the Biden Administration. Between 14 and 30 August 2021, the US alone evacuated over 122,000 people from Hamid Karzai International Airport including US citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants, and other vulnerable Afghans.  The evacuation was completed on August 30, one day before a deadline agreed upon with the Taliban.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/10/19/military-leaders-brace-release-hegseths-afghanistan-review/

 

30-years-a-Soldier (WaPo Comments Section comment for this article)

If Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth really wants to begin playing the blame game, note this passage in this article: “Milley and McKenzie also have told Congress that Trump’s agreement with the Taliban, made in 2020 during his first presidency, to remove all U.S. troops by spring 2021 played a significant role in the Afghan government’s eventual collapse.” I wrote this Blog article back in August 2021: “The Old Colonel’s reaction to the Marine Lieutenant Colonel who resigned because he didn’t like the Commander-in-Chief’s Afghanistan Withdrawal Decision” ( https://old-soldier-colonel.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-old-colonels-reaction-to-marine.html) where I pointed out: “Remember, it was President Trump as the CinC that made the initial decision to draw down the troop strength to 2500. Anyone that has been on Bagram (Army) Airfield or BAF knows how big the perimeter is and even if we were to shrink it to just the inner perimeter (leave out the new area where the prison is) it would still take an Army Division to secure it and its two 10,000+ foot active runways with aprons. It used to take me over an hour to run around just the inner perimeter. By making that drawdown decision, Trump in effect made the decision to abandon BAF. Given the restraints of a 2500 troop strength the alternatives were try to provide an inadequate defense at BAF or withdraw to Kabul and protect the Military side of the Kabul Airport and the Military area around the US Embassy. The Military leaders correctly elected to withdraw to Kabul.” My point is if Hegseth really wants to begin the “blame game” there is plenty of blame to go around and a lot of it is Trump’s.

As for the reason for Lt Col Scheller's insubordination, it is well known inside the “Building” that both The SecDef/GEN Austin and SecDef Esper as well as CJCS GEN Milley all strongly advised against the 2500 troop ceiling and giving up Bagram (Army) Airfield but both Trump and Biden rejected that advice and issued the lawful order to draw down to 2500 boots on the ground. Scheller got exactly what he deserved and you can read my article (link above) if you care to see why.

 

 FACTS About the Trump Negotiated 2020 Doha Agreement to Abandon Afghanistan and the Biden Follow Through on the Trump Plan

Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, was Trump”s hand picked American negotiator and he signed the final accord in Doha on 29 February 2020.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy leader for political affairs and head of its political office, was the group’s chief negotiator. He was the Taliban representative who signed the agreement and led the movement’s diplomatic engagement

Both the Trump and Biden administrations operated under the 2020 Doha Agreement, which committed the U.S. to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan in exchange for Taliban counter‑terrorism promises and intra‑Afghan negotiations.

Overview of the Trump Administration’s Agreement

The Trump administration negotiated and signed the United States–Taliban deal on 29 February 2020, commonly called the Doha Agreement.

The Afghan government was not a party to the agreement, which created complications in implementing prisoner releases and negotiations

Trump negotiated and signed the Doha Agreement, committing the U.S. to withdraw all forces by 1 May 2021, in exchange for Taliban promises on terrorism and negotiations.

Key terms included:

Full withdrawal of all U.S. and NATO forces within 14 months, meaning by 1 May 2021, if the Taliban met its commitments

Initial troop reduction from about 13,000 to 8,600 within 135 days

Taliban counter‑terrorism pledges, including preventing al‑Qaeda or other groups from using Afghan territory to threaten the U.S. or allies

Prisoner exchanges: up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners for 1,000 Afghan security personnel

Start of intra‑Afghan negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government

How the Biden Administration Implemented the Trump Negotiated Doha Agreement

When President Biden took office, Trump left about 2,500 U.S. troops remaining in Afghanistan, already reduced under the Doha Agreement. Biden chose to follow the agreement, adjusting the timeline but keeping the core terms, ultimately completing the withdrawal on 30 August 2021

Biden officials stated they inherited the agreement and its deadlines, and that the Taliban had warned of consequences if the U.S. did not adhere to the 1 May date

Biden’s adjustments included:

Delaying the final withdrawal date from 1 May 2021, to 31 August 2021

Beginning withdrawal on 1 May, as required by the Doha Agreement, but extending the completion timeline

Maintaining the core commitments of the Doha Agreement: full withdrawal and reliance on Taliban counter‑terrorism assurances

 

 

Is Pete Buttigieg Really Presidential Timber?

 

The Washington Post has already began touting the virtues of Pete Buttigieg before his possible run for the Presidency but there are a few thing to consider before he is anointed the savior of the Democrat Party.  For the Washington Post’s inflated assessment of his tenure as Secretary of Transportation, read this September 2026 WaPo article

Article 

Pete Buttigieg is barnstorming for Democrats. Voters are intrigued.

The former transportation secretary has become a high-demand campaign surrogate, hitting nearly three dozen states. Just don’t ask him about the White House — yet.

By Erin Cox. 24 September 2026

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/09/24/pete-buttigieg-barnstorms-country-midterms-he-weighs-2028-presidential-run/

In this article Buttigieg is identified as a "former Navy intelligence officer" so let's dig a little deeper into what qualified him to claim to be an "intelligence officer?"

Pete was identified by the press to be a “Naval Intelligence Officer” although he had absolutely NO Intel training. That’s like being commissioned in the Naval Medical Corps without bothering to attend medical school. Pete got a “political” Direct Commission through the Navy's Direct Commission Officer (DCO) program so was appointed straight to officer rank based on his political influence rather than the standard military accession process. He bypassed just about all training so did not attend standard Officer Candidate School or lengthy initial military occupational specialty (MOS) schooling prior to his commission. At the time he joined in 2009, DCO inductees only completed a condensed TWO-WEEK indoctrination before beginning their reserve duties. To polish up his resume he did go to Afghanistan for about 4 months but with NO formal Intelligence training even he described his job in country as “being an Uber driver.”

Pete Buttigieg did not complete the Naval Intelligence Officer Basic Course (NIOBC).  Because he entered the U.S. Navy Reserve through the Direct Commission Officer (DCO) program in 2009, he bypassed ALL the standard, multi-month full-time active-duty training required of traditional Navy officers.

• Different Training Track: Rather than attending the intensive 20-week NIOBC in Virginia Beach, Buttigieg fulfilled his initial requirements by attending the TWO-WEEK Officer Development School (ODS) and conducted his drill training part-time at Naval Station Great Lakes. He received NO training in any MOS let alone specialized Intelligence Officer Training.

• Pre-Deployment Training: Prior to his 2014 mobilization and 4 month Afghanistan deployment, his primary special training consisted of a short combat-skills course at Camp McCrady in South Carolina to prepare him for individual augmentee duties in a combat zone.

His lack of traditional, full-length military occupational school training is well documented in his military records, which show less than two months of active duty service prior to his deployment.

Now lets examine whether Pete Buttigieg was a success or a failure as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation

This is a matter of intense debate with critics pointing to high-profile operational crises and supporters highlighting major infrastructure rollouts and consumer protection reforms.

Major Criticisms as the Secretary of Transportation

· Crisis Management: Critics, including various Republican lawmakers and progressive figures like former Ohio state senator Nina Turner, argued that Pete Buttigieg struggled to manage widespread disruptions. They pointed to severe airline meltdowns—particularly during the summer and holiday travel seasons of 2022—as evidence of a slow regulatory response to carrier delays and cancellations.

· High-Profile Incidents: His tenure faced intense scrutiny over major national events, such as the freight train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Critics argued his responses to these infrastructural and environmental emergencies were sometimes delayed or insufficient.

· Political Narratives: Opponents often characterized his appointment as a political stepping stone rather than a role suited to his prior experience as the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, accusing him of using the federal post to elevate his national profile.

· Prior Qualifications for the Job: Pete Buttigieg’s only qualifications for the job when Biden appointed him Transportation Secretary were he was once the mayor of a small Indiana town with a population smaller than the University of Michigan Football Stadium on game day and he had traveled on a train and an airplane .. oh ya, he also proposed to his husband at an airport.

How Well Did Pete Perform as a Small Town Mayor:

During his two terms as mayor of South Bend, Indiana (2012–2020), Pete Buttigieg faced various local criticisms and political controversies regarding his policies and leadership. Critics, political opponents, and community advocates have highlighted several key areas where they argue his administration fell short:

Racial Tensions and Police Department Scandals: The most prominent criticism of Buttigieg's tenure centered on his relationship with South Bend’s minority communities and his handling of the police department.

· Demotion of Black Police Chief: Early in his first term, Buttigieg demoted Darryl Boykins, the city’s first Black police chief, following a federal investigation into unauthorized taping of phone lines within the department. The decision alienated many African American residents and led to years of community mistrust.

· Lack of Police Diversity: Under his leadership, the diversity of the police force declined. By the end of his tenure, the department was roughly 90% white, despite South Bend having a population that was roughly 27% Black and 15% Latino.

· The Eric Logan Shooting: In June 2019, the fatal shooting of Eric Logan, a Black resident, by a white South Bend police officer whose body camera was inactive sparked intense local outrage. The crisis forced Buttigieg to briefly step away from his 2020 presidential campaign to address furious residents at emotional town halls where they accused him of failing to protect the community.

· Housing Evictions and Demolitions: To address urban blight, Buttigieg launched the "1,000 Properties in 1,000 Days" initiative to repair or demolish abandoned houses. While praised by some investors, the program drew sharp blowback from low-income and minority homeowners. Many complained that the city aggressively leveled fines and rushed demolitions, disproportionately impacting historic or minority neighborhoods while accelerating local eviction rates.

· Infrastructure Disparities: Critics argued that Buttigieg's signature economic development projects primarily favored the downtown area at the expense of residential neighborhoods. Local community surveys and political opponents pointed out a sharp contrast between modern downtown redevelopment and crumbling infrastructure, such as potholes and neglected sidewalks, on the city's West Side, which had a higher concentration of minority residents.

· Crime and Poverty Rates: Political opponents often targeted the city's socioeconomic metrics during his tenure. The Indiana Republican Party regularly criticized his record, highlighting that South Bend maintained high poverty rates and struggled with violent crime levels that outpaced national averages during most of his administration.

Whether Pete Buttigieg was a success or a failure as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation is a matter of intense debate, with critics pointing to high-profile operational crises and supporters highlighting major infrastructure rollouts and consumer protection reforms.