POST REFERENCES REPORT CLAIMING OPERATION ALLIES WELCOME DID NOT ADEQUATELY MONITOR SOME AFGHAN ARRIVALS
The White House criticised President Joe Biden’s handling of Operation Allies Welcome, citing a report alleging that gaps in monitoring Afghan evacuees posed national-security risks.
The White House issued a sharply worded accusation on Thursday, claiming President Joe Biden “crushed national security” by failing to sufficiently monitor Afghan evacuees admitted under Operation Allies Welcome, the program launched during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The statement, posted on social media, referenced a New York Post report alleging screening and tracking gaps in the program.
The Post article, citing a government oversight document, claimed that thousands of Afghans who entered the U.S. during the evacuation were not consistently monitored or properly documented, resulting in what critics describe as significant security vulnerabilities. Federal agencies have not yet publicly responded to the latest allegation, and the full report has not been released.
Operation Allies Welcome oversaw the emergency relocation of more than 80,000 Afghan nationals — including interpreters, military partners, humanitarian staff and families — who were evacuated amid the collapse of the Afghan government. While widely praised for saving lives, the operation has also drawn scrutiny for rapid processing under extreme time pressure.
National-security analysts note that vetting challenges during large-scale evacuations are not uncommon but emphasize the importance of transparency and follow-up review. Some lawmakers have called for updated audits of the program, while others argue that politicizing the issue may endanger Afghan allies who assisted U.S. forces.
Biden has previously defended the withdrawal and relocation effort, saying the administration acted under tight operational constraints and continued vetting individuals after their arrival in the U.S. The White House that issued today’s post — under Trump — claims the failures were avoidable and amounted to a threat to American security.
As political tensions rise surrounding the D.C. shooting involving an Afghan national earlier this week, immigration and vetting policies have become a central flashpoint in Washington.
