Congressional Committee Subpoenaes Blinken Over Afghanistan Withdrawal

The House Foreign Affairs Committee subpoenaed Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday over the United States’ 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The Details: The Committee, led by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), said Blinken previously refused to testify and is requesting he testify before the committee by September 19 or face contempt charges. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken will not be able to testify on the proposed dates but has proposed “reasonable alternatives.”

For Context: From 2001 to 2021, the U.S. was involved in a war in Afghanistan that ended with U.S. withdrawal and Taliban takeover in 2021. On August 26, 2021, at the end of the U.S. withdrawal, an attack on Kabul airport killed at least 169 Afghan civilians and 13 American service members. The committee is expected to release a report on September 9 detailing its examination of the withdrawal.

Key Quotes: McCaul told Blinken via a letter, “The Committee is holding this hearing because the Department of State was central to the Afghanistan withdrawal and served as the senior authority during the August non-combatant evacuation operation.” Spokesperson Miller said in a statement, “It is disappointing that instead of continuing to engage with the Department in good faith, the Committee instead has issued yet another unnecessary subpoena.”

How The Media Covered It: Axios (Lean Left bias) and Reuters (Center) both described the withdrawal as “chaotic” and “deadly.” The New York Post (Lean Right bias) called it “the Harris-Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal.”