Pentagon discovers highly sensitive classified documents on US withdrawal from Afghanistan

US military officials have discovered classified documents that were allegedly deliberately concealed and relate to the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2021, Pentagon Assistant Press Secretary for Public Affairs Sean Parnell said.

He said a commission established by the Trump administration is investigating the circumstances surrounding the deaths of American service members during the withdrawal from Afghanistan and is also seeking to determine who was responsible.

“We are conducting a thorough review of what took place in Afghanistan, and I’m going to be honest with about what that’s turning up. The deeper we look, the more there is to look at. We are finding things that we did not expect,” Parnell said in a video message posted on X.

According to Parnell, his team recently discovered highly sensitive classified documents.

“Recently my team recovered highly relevant classified documents, material that should have been disclosed, stashed and hidden away in safes, where they would not be found. And after the team reviewed these documents, it became clear why someone tried to hide them,” the Pentagon spokesman said.

Parnell did not provide details about the specific issues raised in the documents. He said the information would be made public once the investigation is complete.