The 1st Committee of Inquiry in the 20th electoral term, established by the German Bundestag on 8 July 2022 and chaired by Dr Ralf Stegner (SPD), examines the events in connection with the Bundeswehr’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and the evacuation of the German and locally-employed staff along with other affected individuals. The Committee will take into consideration the time from 29 February 2020 – the conclusion of the “Doha Agreement” between the US government under former President Donald Trump and representatives of the Taliban – until the end of the mandate for the military evacuation from Afghanistan on 30 September 2021. The Committee is tasked with obtaining an overall picture of the findings, decision-making processes and actions of the Federal Government, and of all federal authorities and intelligence services involved, including interaction between German and foreign parties. Likewise, the Committee is to investigate the extent to which the Federal Government influenced the implementation of the Doha Agreement and the organisation of the withdrawal of troops by the USA. Based on the results of the inquiry, in its conclusions the twelve-member Committee is additionally to recommend the consequences to be drawn from its findings.
