US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has agreed to testify publicly before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on December 11 regarding the controversial 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, Reuters reported.
The agreement follows months of disputes between the Republican-led committee and the State Department over his appearance.
Committee Chairman Michael McCaul announced the hearing as part of the ongoing Republican investigation into the chaotic evacuation, which has been a focal point of criticism against Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration. The withdrawal, conducted less than seven months into Biden’s presidency, ended two decades of US involvement in Afghanistan but was marred by a deadly airport bombing and a disorderly evacuation.
The State Department has emphasised its cooperation with the committee, noting that Blinken has testified on Afghanistan more than 14 times and that nearly 20,000 pages of records, high-level briefings, and interviews have been provided. Despite this, panel Republicans voted in September to recommend holding Blinken in contempt of Congress for not fully complying with a subpoena.
The issue remains highly politicised, especially in the aftermath of the November 5 presidential election. Former President Donald Trump, who secured a second term, leveraged the withdrawal as a campaign issue. Trump criticised Vice President Kamala Harris, his Democratic opponent, and shot campaign footage at Arlington National Cemetery during a ceremony honouring troops killed in the evacuation.
Democrats argue that some responsibility for the chaotic withdrawal lies with Trump, who initiated the process by signing a 2020 agreement with the Taliban. Trump has pledged to hold officials accountable for the withdrawal after returning to the White House on January 20. As scrutiny continues, the hearing could reignite debate over decisions made by both administrations during the transition out of Afghanistan.
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