House Republicans Subpoena Blinken to Testify on Afghanistan Exit

On Tuesday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul announced a subpoena for Secretary of State Antony Blinken, compelling him to testify on the Biden administration’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan, which was finalized in August 2021. McCaul indicated that he might hold Blinken in contempt if he fails to comply.

This investigation into the 2021 withdrawal has been in progress since January of last year. McCaul expressed that he has sought Blinken’s testimony multiple times but has not received any proposed dates from the State Department.

In a letter sent to Blinken, McCaul emphasized that the information gathered from the testimony would aid the committee in crafting potential legislation aimed at preventing future mistakes similar to those experienced during the withdrawal. He mentioned that the hearing is crucial since the Department of State played a central role in the evacuation operations.

“The Department of State was central to the Afghanistan withdrawal and served as the senior authority during the August non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO),” McCaul wrote in his letter. He reminded Blinken of the responsibility placed on him as Secretary of State during this process, particularly in securing the safe evacuation of both Americans and Afghan allies.

Due to what he described as the State Department’s lack of cooperation, McCaul asserted that the subpoena was necessary to ensure Blinken testifies at the scheduled hearing on September 19.

In response, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller dismissed the accusations, asserting that Blinken has already testified before Congress regarding the Afghanistan withdrawal over 14 times, more than any other cabinet official, and has answered inquiries from McCaul’s committee on four separate occasions.

“The Department has provided the Committee with nearly 20,000 pages of records, conducted multiple high-level briefings, and facilitated transcribed interviews with almost 15 current and former State Department officials,” Miller said in a statement reported by NBC News.

Miller also indicated that Blinken was unavailable on the date proposed for the testimony but noted that alternatives had been offered. He expressed disappointment that the committee chose to issue another subpoena instead of continuing to engage constructively with the State Department.

Meanwhile, Representative Gregory Meeks, a Democrat from New York and the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, characterized McCaul’s subpoena as a political maneuver aimed at generating headlines during an election period. He accused House Republicans of lacking substantive inquiries after two years without new facts.

This recent subpoena comes a week after the third anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal. The withdrawal process began during Donald Trump’s administration in January 2020 and was finalized under President Biden in August 2021. Around 124,000 Afghans, including approximately 6,000 U.S. citizens, were evacuated during this period, alongside the exit of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan.

The withdrawal was marked by tragedy, as 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans lost their lives in a bombing at Kabul’s international airport. In the midst of this exodus, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, a position they continue to hold today.

Last month, an official report examining the events surrounding the withdrawal criticized both administrations. The After Action Review observed that decisions made by both President Trump and President Biden regarding the cessation of the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan had dire implications for the stability of the Afghan government and its security structure.

The review also noted that both administrations exhibited a lack of comprehensive strategy concerning worst-case scenarios and their potential rapid consequences during the withdrawal process.

As tensions continue to rise over the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, the upcoming testimony from Secretary Blinken is highly anticipated, as it could reveal further insights into the decisions made during this tumultuous period.

Source: UPI