The committee markup is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 19. Blinken has previously testified before Congress about the chaotic withdrawal, during which a suicide bomber killed 13 American service members and approximately 170 Afghans — one of the deadliest incidents in the 19-year war in Afghanistan. The new subpoena follows the release of a House report assessing the withdrawal, which characterized it as a “strategic failure” by the Biden administration. According to the report, the administration did not take steps to prevent the release of thousands of al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Taliban prisoners from Afghan government prisons, nor did it adjust evacuation plans despite clear warnings of a "rapidly deteriorating security situation" that culminated in the deadly bombing. “The administration repeatedly, and at times potentially intentionally, misled the American public about the likely consequences of its decision to withdraw unilaterally, irrespective of conditions,” the report states. It also asserts that the Biden administration misrepresented the military advice the president received regarding the withdrawal. “In truth, the president chose to ignore the advice of his top military and diplomatic officials, as well as that of America’s closest allies who sought to make the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan contingent on the Taliban taking real steps towards peace,” the report says.House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul has scheduled a vote to hold U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a subpoena related to the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
.@HouseForeignGOP's report shows the Secretary of State, the Defense Secretary, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and our NATO allies all opposed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Yet, Joe & Kamala went ahead anyway & 13 service members lost their lives.
— Rep. Brian Mast (@RepBrianMast) September 13, 2024 In post on X, McCaul said: “As secretary of state during the Afghanistan withdrawal and emergency evacuation throughout 2021, Secretary Blinken was entrusted with securing the safety of Americans & Afghan allies. As my report revealed, he and this administration wholly failed in that responsibility and have yet to be held accountable. If he continues to refuse to appear before [the House Foreign Affairs Committee] to answer for our report’s findings, then I will hold him in contempt of Congress.”
As secretary of state during the Afghanistan withdrawal and emergency evacuation throughout 2021, Secretary Blinken was entrusted with securing the safety of Americans & Afghan allies. As my report revealed, he and this administration wholly failed in that responsibility and have… Foreign policy experts have openly stated that it appeared the Biden administration had no coherent strategy for the withdrawal. “Those last two weeks of August were really a microcosm of much of the previous 20 years of the war in Afghanistan, in the sense that you had a situation where there did not appear to be a type of U.S. plan or strategy,” Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia program at the Wilson Center in Washington, told The Washington Post.
— Michael McCaul (@RepMcCaul) September 12, 2024
