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House Foreign Affairs Committee Presses Blinken Over 2021 Afghanistan Withdrawal
Summary
In his final appearance before the committee, Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the State Department's role in the Afghanistan withdrawal while lawmakers pressed him on IG findings, whether sensitive materials and weapons were left behind, and who held authority over evacuation timing.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the State Department’s actions on the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal during a sometimes-contentious House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, but lawmakers from both parties pressed him over inspector general findings, whether the embassy abandoned sensitive materials, and who ultimately directed evacuation decisions.
Chairman opened the hearing by framing it as oversight of a ‘‘catastrophic withdrawal,’’ saying he had subpoenaed documents and witnesses and urging accountability for the 13 U.S. service members killed in the Kabul airport attack. Ranking Member Gregory Meeks called for context and cautioned against partisan conclusions, and members on both sides exchanged sharply different interpretations of the underlying facts.
Blinken said the administration inherited a Doha agreement and substantial troop reductions and that the…
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