RASC News Agency: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been summoned once again by the House Foreign Affairs Committee to respond to questions regarding the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent surrender of the country to the Taliban in August 2021. According to media reports, the committee, led by Chairman Michael McCaul, issued the summons on Tuesday, accusing Blinken of evading accountability for the U.S. exit from Afghanistan. In a letter, McCaul insisted that Blinken appear before the committee on September 19, warning that failure to comply could result in contempt charges.
In response, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated that Blinken is currently unavailable but suggested “reasonable alternatives” to meet McCaul’s request for a public hearing. Miller expressed disappointment, noting, “It is frustrating that rather than continuing to engage with the Department in good faith, the committee has chosen to issue another unnecessary subpoena.” Miller also highlighted that Blinken has already testified before Congress on Afghanistan over 14 times, including four appearances before McCaul’s committee. In his letter, the Republican chairman emphasized that current and former State Department officials have confirmed Blinken as the “final decision-maker” on the withdrawal and evacuation from Afghanistan.
McCaul asserted, “You are in a position to inform the committee about potential legislative remedies aimed at preventing the catastrophic errors of the withdrawal, including possible reforms to the Department’s legal authority.” The committee’s investigation into the deadly and chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal has been ongoing for years. There are claims that the United States, under the Doha Agreement, effectively handed over Afghanistan to the Taliban and has since provided billions of dollars to support the group. Meanwhile, the Taliban continue to assert to the Afghanistan public that they “defeated” the United States.
