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Washington — Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to appear before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday. This comes as part of ongoing inquiries concerning the tumultuous U.S. evacuation from Afghanistan, which has been a point of contention in Congress.
Blinken’s forthcoming testimony follows a committee vote nearly three months ago where members recommended he be held in contempt of Congress for his delay in appearing to answer questions regarding the 2021 withdrawal. This recommendation stemmed from a protracted dispute between the committee and the State Department over Blinken’s testimony.
Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas has been vocal about the significance of this appearance. He emphasized that it is essential to ponder “potential legislation aimed at helping prevent the catastrophic mistakes of the withdrawal,” showcasing the committee’s focus on learning from past errors.
In September, committee Republicans released an extensive report based on their investigation into the chaotic Afghan exit. The report criticizes the Biden administration, stating that it misled the public about the withdrawal and the end of the two-decade-long conflict.
Throughout their investigation, the committee conducted 18 transcribed interviews with various Biden administration officials and collected over 20,000 pages of documents, some obtained through subpoenas. Although Blinken was not part of the testimony for this report, the State Department pointed out that he has addressed Congress regarding Afghanistan over 14 times previously.
The report claims that President Biden disregarded numerous warnings from military leaders, national security advisers, and allies concerning the risks associated with the complete withdrawal of American forces. It accuses him of “prioritizing politics and his personal legacy over America’s national security interests.”
Moreover, the report highlights Blinken’s alleged inaction during the State Department’s planning for the withdrawal and evacuation, suggesting that he handed over responsibilities to subordinates regarding Afghanistan.
As detailed in the report, Blinken supported the decision to keep the U.S. Embassy in Kabul operational, irrespective of the military drawdown. This inclination to maintain diplomatic ties allegedly contributed to the State Department’s slow responses and inadequate planning for adverse developments.
Furthermore, diplomats on the ground expressed growing concerns about maintaining the embassy as conditions worsened in Afghanistan. A dissent cable issued in July 2021 explicitly warned that Kabul was likely to fall following the planned withdrawal. It was only two weeks before U.S. troop withdrawal that State Department officials decided to close the embassy, as mentioned in the report.
In 2023, Republicans threatened to hold Blinken in contempt for not enabling access to the classified dissent cable, although a partially redacted version was later shared with lawmakers.
On the other hand, Democrats on the committee accused their Republican counterparts of politicizing the withdrawal process and of being selective in their criticisms, particularly regarding the previous administration.
The Biden administration had previously released a summary of a classified review on the Afghanistan exit, placing much of the responsibility on the Trump administration for the withdrawal agreement, known as the Doha Agreement, which set a timeline for U.S. troop withdrawal by May 2021. A separate report from the State Department laid blame on both the Trump and Biden administrations for inadequate planning related to the exit from Afghanistan.
Afghanistan: The New Reality
With ongoing discussions in Congress and among political circles, the situation in Afghanistan remains a pressing issue, as stakeholders seek to understand and rectify the past actions leading up to the withdrawal.
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