The US Home International Affairs Committee on Tuesday subpoenaed Secretary of State Antony Blinken, saying he had refused to seem earlier than the panel to testify in regards to the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
In a letter relating to the subpoena, Chairman Michael McCaul stated Blinken should seem earlier than the committee on Sept. 19 or face contempt expenses, the committee stated.
State Division spokesman Matthew Miller stated Blinken was not at present accessible to testify on the dates proposed by the committee however proposed “affordable options” to adjust to McCaul’s request for a public listening to.
“It’s disappointing that reasonably than persevering with to have interaction with the Division in good religion, the Committee has issued yet one more pointless subpoena,” Miller stated in a press release.
He stated Blinken had testified earlier than Congress on Afghanistan greater than 14 occasions, together with 4 occasions earlier than McCaul’s committee. He additionally stated the State Division has offered the committee with almost 20,000 pages of division information, a number of high-level briefings and transcribed interviews.
In Could, McCaul requested Blinken to seem at a September listening to on the committee’s report on its investigation into the Afghanistan withdrawal.
In his letter, opens a brand new tab, addressed to Blinken, the Republican committee chairman stated present and former State Division officers confirmed that Blinken was “the ultimate decision-maker” on withdrawal and evacuation.
“You’re due to this fact properly positioned to temporary the Committee on consideration of doable laws designed to assist forestall catastrophic withdrawal failures, together with doable reforms to the Division’s legislative authorization,” McCaul wrote.
The subpoena from McCaul’s committee, which has been investigating the lethal and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan for years, comes as occasions surrounding the pullout grow to be an more and more politicized problem forward of the Nov. 5 election.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, visited Arlington Nationwide Cemetery late final month and took part in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the 13 service members killed through the U.S. withdrawal.
He additionally visited Part 60 of the cemetery, the place troops are buried and which is taken into account sacred floor within the navy sphere.
Federal regulation and Pentagon coverage don’t permit political actions in that part of the cemetery, however the Trump marketing campaign took movies and used them in adverts.
Throughout a speech in Pennsylvania on Friday, Trump stated that households of servicemen who died in Afghanistan had requested him to go to the cemetery.