US House of Representatives summons Blinken to testify on Afghanistan withdrawal

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has summoned Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, to testify regarding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Michael McCaul, the committee chairman, has warned Blinken that if he does not appear before the committee on September 19, he could face charges of contempt of Congress.

The U.S. State Department has stated that Blinken is unavailable on that date but has proposed “reasonable alternatives” for attending a public session.

In a letter to the State Department dated Tuesday, September 3rd, Michael McCaul wrote that both current and former U.S. officials have confirmed that Antony Blinken was the “final decision-maker” regarding the withdrawal of American forces and the evacuation process from Afghanistan.

McCaul has requested that Blinken address his role before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

In his letter, McCaul wrote: “You are in a position to inform the committee about potential legislative changes aimed at preventing catastrophic mistakes during the withdrawal, including possible reforms regarding the legal authority of the State Department.”

Matthew Miller, a spokesperson for the State Department, described the summons for Blinken’s testimony as “unnecessary” in a statement released on Tuesday, September 3rd, noting that the Secretary of State has already testified about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan 14 times before Congress.

Miller added that Blinken has appeared four times before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

He also mentioned that the State Department has provided the committee with over 20,000 pages of documents and information related to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The committee plans to release a comprehensive report upon concluding its investigation.

With the election season heating up, Republicans, especially Donald Trump, the party’s presidential candidate, have accused President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of “mismanaging” the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Trump has also criticized the Biden administration for failing to prevent the deaths of 13 American soldiers during the evacuation.

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