Congress Threatens To Subpoena Blinken for Blocking Investigation Into Bungled Afghanistan Withdrawal

The mishandling of the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan has emerged as a top priority for Congress, as Republicans in the House threaten to issue a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken for blocking the investigation into the botched evacuation. 

The House Foreign Affairs Committee chair, Rep. Michael McCaul (R., Texas), gave Blinken until Wednesday to produce numerous internal “documents pertaining to the Biden administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan” that left 13 Americans dead. Failure to comply will result in the committee issuing a subpoena. McCaul is seeking documents that could show the administration knew the Taliban would quickly retake control of Afghanistan but still proceeded. 

McCaul’s committee has been requesting these documents since August 2021, but the State Department has only produced a fraction of the requested communications, most of which are heavily redacted. The State Department must produce all the requested documents by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. 

Blinken is expected to face questions about the administration’s mishandling of the withdrawal when he appears before the Senate on Wednesday and before McCaul’s committee on Thursday.

The State Department says it is having trouble producing the documents due to their classified nature and the inclusion of sensitive national security information. However, the Foreign Affairs Committee is equipped to process highly classified documents and routinely accesses them on the most sensitive issues confronting U.S. foreign policy, including the ongoing threats posed by foreign adversaries.