CINCINNATI — For 20 years, U.S. troops fought in Afghanistan, but a year after President Biden pulled America’s military out of the war-torn country, a new commission is looking to evaluate options for Congress. .

What You Need To Know

  • On Monday, former Ohio Gov. Bob Taft was appointed to the Afghanistan War Commission

  • It's made of 16 pi-partisan commissioners who are tasked with examining decisions made before and during the war

  • It's to help make recommendations for Congress moving forward

  • The commission is expected to create a report within in the next three years

For eight years, Bob Taft led the state of Ohio as its governor, focusing on bringing high-paying jobs to the state and rebuilding its schools. Now, more than 15 years after he left office, Taft is turning his attention to an issue of international importance.

“I am very honored to be one member of the Afghanistan War Commission of one of 16 members,” said Taft. “It is an independent non- partisan commission.”

Taft earned his spot as one of 16 bi-partisan commissioners, thanks to U.S. Congressman Mike Turner, who is the lead Republican on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“He will bring an unbelievable wealth of knowledge and an ability to work with his fellow commissioners to come up with a product that can guide Congress and guide future administrations as to what did we do wrong and how do we fix those problems in the future,” said Turner. 

The commission is a part of the fiscal year 2022 National Defense Act, and will examine decisions made before and during the war and ultimately make recommendations for Congress. 

“Our purpose is to produce a serious, independent study of what happened during the Afghanistan War in order to benefit and protect the country going forward to protect our national security interest," said Taft.

Taft has plenty of experience with international affairs. Before becoming governor in 1999, he served with the U.S. Peace Corps and was an officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

“I look forward to being part of this process and coming up with a fair, objective and independent analysis that will benefit our country going forward, protect our national security and also pay tribute to all those that serve in Afghanistan,” he said. 

The commission will complete a report within three years of its initial meeting trying to answer questions about what initially went wrong with the war and why it didn’t succeed in its mission to derail the terrorists.