U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blanken has agreed to testify publicly at a House committee hearing on the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, the panel said Tuesday after a long dispute with the Republican-led committee.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said Blanken had pledged to appear at a Dec. 11 public hearing to discuss the committee’s investigation into the return three years ago.
The committee and the State Department have been sparring over Blanken’s appearance for months. Panel Republicans voted in September to recommend that Blanken be held in contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a subpoena.
The State Department claimed that the panel was provided with a large amount of information: Blanken testified before Congress on Afghanistan more than 14 times, and the department provided nearly 20,000 pages of records, numerous high-level briefings and transcribed interviews. were
On September 8, McCaul released a report on the committee’s Republican investigation into the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, criticizing the administration of Democratic President Joe Biden for failures surrounding the withdrawal.
The issue had become highly politicized ahead of the November 5 presidential election. In his successful bid for a second term, Republican former President Donald Trump drew criticism for shooting a campaign video at Arlington National Cemetery where he appeared at a ceremony honoring fallen soldiers. Evacuation
Trump also tried to blame his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, for the withdrawal.
Democrats have insisted that some of the blame for the messy end to the war — less than seven months into Biden’s presidency — should be laid at the feet of Trump, who signed a deal with the Taliban in 2020 to begin the withdrawal process. what was
The issue could become more politicized after Trump returns to the White House on January 20, when he spoke during his campaign about firing those responsible for the withdrawal from Afghanistan.