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Senator presses secretary on Afghan evacuation priorities, Taliban ties and 2001 AUMF review
Summary
In a Senate hearing the secretary said the Taliban’s ties to Al Qaeda "have not been severed," defended the decision timetable for military drawdown, and said the top evacuation priority is U.S. citizens while acknowledging thousands of green card holders and SIV applicants remained in Afghanistan.
An unidentified senator pressed the secretary of state during a Senate hearing on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, demanding answers about Taliban ties to extremist groups, whether the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force should be revisited, and how evacuation priorities were set for U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents and Special Immigrant Visa applicants.
The secretary told senators "the relationship has not been severed," saying it is unclear whether Taliban views toward Al Qaeda have changed and noting U.S. intelligence assesses those groups are not currently capable of outwardly directed attacks. He drew a distinction between the Taliban and ISIS-K, calling them "sworn enemies." The secretary added that the intelligence…
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