Blinken Stalling Congress on Withdrawal From Afghanistan: Rep. McCaul

According to Chairman Michael T. McCaul, (R-Texas), Secretary of State Anthony Blinken did not completely comply with the House Foreign Relations Committee’s request for information about the U.S. withdrawal form Afghanistan.

The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability made similar requests to Blinken and the four administration officials, but it is not clear if they responded.

McCaul requested that the information be available by January 26, but McCaul stated on March 3rd that it was only possible to provide this information. “two small document” Productions were provided, but they had been severely reduced in their utility.

McCaul asked for three more pieces of information and received them in another letter dated March 3.pdfBlinken. McCaul claims that the material has been requested numerous times, dating back to August 2021.

“1. The Dissent Channel cable reportedly sent on July 13, 2021, by 23 State Department officials and the Department’s response to it; 2. The After-Action Report prepared under Ambassador Daniel Smith; and 3. Two iterations of U.S. Embassy Kabul’s Emergency Action Plan (EAP): The one in existence on January 1, 2021, and the final iteration of the plan before the Embassy’s closure.”

McCaul cited a section of federal law that McCaul gave to Secretary of State regarding cooperation in congressional oversight.

“The Department of State shall keep the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives fully and currently informed with respect to all activities and responsibilities within the jurisdiction of these committees. Any Federal department, agency, or independent establishment shall furnish any information requested by either such committee relating to any such activity or responsibility.” [Emphasis in the McCaul letter.]

Request From The Oversight chair

Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), asked the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and State for comparable information about the U.S. withdrawal.

“We are concerned that the Biden Administration continues to delay long-overdue transparency to the American people about the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal and evacuation,” On February 17, Comer sent an email to all officials requesting specific documents by March 3.

The Epoch Times was told by a spokesperson for the State Department: “While the State Department generally does not comment on Congressional correspondence, we are aware of this inquiry, and the State Department is committed to working with all Congressional committees with jurisdiction to appropriately accommodate their legitimate need for information to help them conduct oversight for legislative purposes.”

The Department of Homeland Security wouldn’t say whether Comer had been responded to by the agency. “DHS responds to Congressional correspondence directly via official channels, and the Department will continue to respond appropriately to Congressional oversight,” A spokesperson for the department told The Epoch Times on March 3rd.

Comer was also denied by the Pentagon an answer from him. “As with all congressional correspondence, we will respond directly to the authors of the letter,” According to a spokesperson, The Epoch Times.

USAID didn’t respond to a query about whether or not it responded to Comer’s request. The White House also did not reply to a question asking if Jake Sullivan (the president’s national-security adviser) had answered to Comer.