The House Foreign Affairs Committee has issued a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, requesting his testimony on September 19 regarding the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. The subpoena comes after committee chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) initially requested Blinken’s appearance at a hearing on the withdrawal back in May.
In a letter dated September 3, McCaul explained that the Department of State played a central role in the Afghanistan withdrawal and was responsible for overseeing the non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) in August. As Secretary of State during this time, Blinken was entrusted with leading these efforts and ensuring the safe evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies.
McCaul emphasized that Blinken was the final decision maker for the Department on both the withdrawal and evacuation, citing accounts from current and former State Department officials. He stated that Blinken’s insights would be crucial for considering potential legislation aimed at preventing similar mistakes in future withdrawals and implementing reforms to enhance legislative authorization within the department.
The committee plans to release its report on September 9 following a three-year investigation into the withdrawal. During an August 19 discussion, McCaul agreed to give Blinken additional time to confirm a hearing date. However, despite multiple attempts by the committee to establish a date between August 26 and August 30, no response was received from the Department of State other than a request for a phone call.
During his previous appearance before the committee on May 22, Blinken did not commit to testifying in September but highlighted his extensive engagement with Congress regarding Afghanistan compared to his predecessors. He defended the State Department’s response during May’s hearing while expressing condolences for those who lost their lives during America’s two-decade involvement in Afghanistan.
Blinken mentioned that more than twelve interviews had been facilitated between administration officials involved in the withdrawal and members of Congress as part of oversight efforts. The State Department has also provided documents related to this process upon request by House Foreign Affairs Committee.
It is worth noting that last year, when asked by McCaul’s committee about sharing dissent channel cables related to Afghanistan’s withdrawal due privacy concerns; however later they allowed him access after he issued subpoena stating “the dissenters were right—and administration should have listened.”
As of now, there has been no comment from The State Department regarding this matter.