Pentagon review panel finds hidden classified Afghanistan documents

The Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel has discovered previously undisclosed classified documents that were allegedly “stashed and hidden away” in safes. Sean Parnell, chairman of the panel and senior adviser to U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, announced the discovery on the fifth anniversary of the Abbey Gate bombing in Kabul.

Parnell stated that the team recovered highly relevant material that should have been disclosed, noting that the review of these documents made it clear why there was an attempt to conceal them. While the specific contents of the documents and the identities of those who hid them have not been released, Parnell indicated the panel is following the evidence to determine accountability.

The investigation is part of a broader review established in May 2025 to re-examine the 2021 U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the circumstances surrounding the suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport. That attack, carried out by an ISIS-K operative, killed 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians.