Republicans call key witnesses with ‘critical’ information on Afghanistan withdrawal to testify

Biden administration accused of hiding ‘critical’ information on deadly Afghanistan withdrawal: Republicans call key witnesses to testify on the disaster which killed 13 U.S. service members, abandoned citizens and allies

  • ‘It is crucial they speak with the committee without delay,’ Chairman Michael McCaul said Monday
  • The State Department missed a deadline last week to hand over a key document related to the August 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal
  • Antony Blinken will be the first secretary of state in history to be held in contempt of Congress 

House Foreign Affairs Committee Republicans are calling new witnesses with ‘critical’ insider information on the Afghanistan withdrawal to sit for transcribed interviews as their investigation into the Biden administration’s handling of the deadly exit intensifies.

Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said that he is calling five former State Department officials to testify because they have ‘important information that is critical’ to unraveling ‘how and why’ the disastrous withdrawal occurred in August 2021.

The five individuals called include: Jonathan Mennuti, former acting chief of staff to Acting Under Secretary of State for Management Carol Perez; Mark Evans, former acting deputy assistant secretary for Afghanistan; James DeHart, former lead of the Afghanistan Task Force; Jayne Howell, from the Bureau of Consular Affairs; and former Ambassador Daniel Smith.

‘It is crucial they speak with the committee without delay,’ Chairman Michael McCaul said Monday.

Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at the perimeter of the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 16, 2021

In August 2021, 13 U.S. service members and 170 others were killed near the Hamid Karzai International Airport after a suicide bomber detonated an explosive. 

Additionally, thousands of U.S. citizens and allies of the United States who were unable to quickly evacuate were left stranded in the country after the Taliban quickly took over the capital of Kabul. 

The committee led by McCaul is investigating the Biden administration’s role in the deadly withdrawal, which he has previously called a ‘stunning failure’ of leadership. 

‘As we continue to gather evidence, the Committee will continue to interview additional current and former administration officials involved in the planning and execution of the withdrawal.’ 

Separately, McCaul is preparing his committee to move forward with a contempt of Congress charge against Secretary of State Antony Blinken as soon as May 24 after the State Department missed a deadline to hand over a key document related to the August 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

The committee is specifically seeking a classified dissenting cable that U.S. State Department employees sent prior to the Taliban’s takeover on July 13, 2021. 

Separately, McCaul is preparing his committee to move forward with a contempt of Congress charge against Secretary of State Antony Blinken as soon as May 24

Separately, McCaul is preparing his committee to move forward with a contempt of Congress charge against Secretary of State Antony Blinken as soon as May 24

Afghan burqa-clad women walk past a market at Fayzabad district, in Badakhshan province on January 23, 2023

Afghan burqa-clad women walk past a market at Fayzabad district, in Badakhshan province on January 23, 2023

Taliban fighters chanted victory slogans next to the US embassy in Kabul on August 15 as they marked the first anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan following a turbulent year that saw women's rights crushed and a humanitarian crisis worsen

Taliban fighters chanted victory slogans next to the US embassy in Kabul on August 15 as they marked the first anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan following a turbulent year that saw women’s rights crushed and a humanitarian crisis worsen

The cable warned about a ‘deteriorating’ security situation’ and urged the immediate evacuation of allies, a warning that the Biden administration did not heed, say Republicans. 

The chairman also called it ‘interesting’ that it would be the ‘first time in history’ that a secretary of state has ever been held in contempt by Congress. 

State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said Thursday afternoon during a press briefing ahead of the deadline that the department would ‘continue to engage’ with the committee, but did not provide further details.

If Blinken is held in contempt of Congress, President Biden’s Department of Justice would have the option to move forward with legal proceedings – but it is unlikely it would take action against him. 

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