Blinken to testify on Afghanistan withdrawal before House committee next month

WASHINGTON

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul announced he received a commitment from Secretary of State Antony Blinken to appear for a hearing on the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration.

The hearing will take place Dec. 11.

"After months of good faith efforts that were too often met with stonewalling from the State Department, I’m proud to have secured Secretary Blinken’s appearance before my committee," McCaul said in a statement. "I trust his testimony will provide some long-overdue accountability and transparency for the American people, our Afghan allies, and our Gold Star families.”

McCaul said the appearance is coming after the committee advanced contempt proceedings against the secretary.

"While I wish he had not delayed this crucial appearance until the end of his tenure as head of the State Department, I look forward to hearing his testimony and asking poignant questions to help House Republicans and the next administration ensure nothing like this ever happens again," he added.

Blinken did not appear for a Sept. 24 hearing on the chairman’s investigation into Afghanistan that violated a congressional subpoena and breaking federal law, according to McCaul.

"As a result, the committee passed a report outlining Secretary Blinken’s role in the failed withdrawal and recommending the U.S. House of Representatives find him in contempt of Congress for his violation of the subpoena," said the statement.

The US presence in Afghanistan, which began in October 2001, ended in 2021 after 20 years with the withdrawal of American troops. Republican lawmakers have criticized the Biden administration for a “failed” withdrawal and chaos at the airport.

The withdrawal in August of that year was marked by the collapse of the internationally-recognized Afghan government, which was swiftly overrun by Taliban forces as international troops departed.

Thirteen American troops and 170 Afghan civilians were killed in a suicide bombing Aug. 26, 2021, that was claimed by the Daesh/ISIS terror group.