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Blinken Defends U.S. Alliances, Humanitarian Steps as Committee Raises Regional Security Concerns
Summary
Secretary Blinken defended U.S. alliance-building and humanitarian diplomacy, saying NATO is stronger, the U.S. rebuilt SIV processing, and the State Department is working to help vulnerable Afghan women and detainees while preparing for a Middle East trip.
In extended exchanges with House Foreign Affairs Committee members, Secretary Antony Blinken framed the Biden administration’s foreign policy record as one of rebuilding alliances and sustaining humanitarian commitments, even as members criticized decisions on Afghanistan, Israel-Gaza, Syria and Iran.
Blinken argued that refocusing resources after the Afghanistan withdrawal allowed the U.S. to marshal broad multinational support for Ukraine and to reinforce NATO, saying the alliance is "stronger, bigger, and better resourced." He told members the administration pursued a range of diplomatic and humanitarian priorities including support for Afghan resettlement and mechanisms to protect women and girls.
On Israel and Gaza, Blinken said the State Department worked to secure hostage-release and ceasefire agreements and to route humanitarian assistance into Gaza while also supporting Israel’s security needs. He said he would continue regional diplomacy during a trip to the Middle East scheduled after the hearing.
Lawmakers also asked about designations, including whether the department could move quickly to label armed Palestinian factions or the Popular Resistance Committees as terrorist organizations; Blinken said such legal designations require meeting statutory criteria and department processes, but that the department would advance designations if it completed required legal work.
On humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and concerns that some assistance has reached the Taliban, Blinken said most funds go to UN agencies and vetted NGO partners; he cited department estimates that only an extremely small share — he said roughly $10 million of multibillion-dollar international assistance totals cited in some reports — may have been diverted. He characterized U.S. efforts as focused on preventing famine, preserving health systems and continuing to press for the return of detained Americans.
Ending: The hearing showcased sharp partisan differences about the withdrawal’s meaning for U.S. credibility, but also cross‑aisle agreements on the importance of protecting interpreters, resolving the status of detainees, and strengthening crisis response mechanisms.
