State Department Faces Subpoena From Foreign Affairs Committee Over Afghanistan Records

After failing to turn over two information pertaining to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the State Department is in danger of being subpoenad by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

By the end of the day on March 22, the ministry had not delivered the after-action statement and dissent cable that Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul( R-Texas) had requested, a committee voice informed The Epoch Times via email.

The chair previously stated that if State did not respond to his question, he may issue a lawsuit.

Officials at the State Department have an internal mechanism called the opposition channel where they can voice their disagreements with policy. According to a press release from the foreign affairs committee, the wire requested by the commission was apparently written on July 13, 2021, by 23 ambassador leaders.

Following up on earlier requests, McCaul sent Secretary of State Antony Blinken a letter( pdf ) on March 20 highlighting the need for the State Department to produce the documents pertaining to the chaotic withdrawal of the Biden administration from Afghanistan.

In response to a request from the State Department to name the documents deemed most important to the agency’s oversight responsibilities, McCaul requested that the department take at least three documents by March 22.

Blinken is scheduled to speak with the committee on March 23 to debate President Joe Biden’s 2024 budget plan, so the search for information falls on that day.

McCaul addressed the district’s inability to provide the commission with the opposition cable and response during the reading. If they don’t have it by March 27’s end of business, the president threatened to challenge a lawsuit.

Now, Secretary Henry Kissinger’s mail to send a protest wire to Congress in the 1970s was cited by your department as precedent, McCaul said to Blinken. You do not, in my opinion, have professional luxury over this wire.

The most recent letter comes after the council conducted a protracted show of inquiries. According to the agency’s most recent news release, McCaul submitted a detailed document petition regarding the handover on January 12 with many of the demands dating back to August 2021.

Discussion that is creative

In response to The Epoch Times’s question, a state department spokesperson stated that they typically don’t post on Parliamentary correspondence.

However, the director added that the department has given more than 200 briefings to republican Members and responded to multiple requests for information on Afghanistan policy since the withdrawal of U.S. forces from the area. They also stated that they are committed to working with Parliamentary committees with jurisdiction to properly support their need for knowledge.

The State Department reiterated McCaul’s earlier remarks, saying they were working as quickly as they could to support what they believe to be a lengthy and detailed inquire after the senator visited the division.

On August 26, 2021, a murder attack occurred at Kabul’s international airport, killing 13 American soldiers and injuring hundreds more. It was considered by the public to be a substantial security lapse.

McCaul told Blinken during the hear,” Now, I believe this commission and the American men need to see the cable after what happened… in that terrible August.” And if you don’t, I’m ready to serve you with a lawsuit.