(FreedomWire.org) – House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) slammed the Biden administration for ignoring warnings from U.S. embassy officials in Kabul before the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan after he viewed a 2021 dissent cable from the diplomats.
McCaul and New York Rep. Greg Meeks, the Foreign Affairs committee’s top Democratic member, viewed the dissent cable and the State Department’s official response this week after McCaul threatened to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress for not complying with a subpoena for the document.
“The dissenters were absolutely right about everything they said,” McCaul told Punchbowl News. “And it was a warning to the administration about what was going to happen and what they needed to do. The dissenters deserve a medal.”
He also said: “Unfortunately, the administration didn’t heed all their warnings and we got what we got.”
When he subpoenaed Blinken in March, McCaul said, “The American people deserve answers as to how this tragedy unfolded, and why 13 U.S. servicemembers lost their lives,” referring to the August 2021 suicide bomb at the Kabul airport during the Afghan withdrawal that killed 13 U.S. troops and at least 170 Afghan civilians.
While the top committee members were able to view the documents in person at the State Department, McCaul is still pushing the agency to allow everyone on the committee to view the materials.
On Thursday, Rep. Green released the following statement after the Biden administration stonewalled the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s subpoena to see the Afghanistan withdrawal dissent cable and Secretary Blinken’s response.
“As someone who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, this topic is extremely personal. The Biden administration’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal has left bloodied marks on our nation’s reputation, on Afghanistan, and on our allies. The only salve is accountability. And that is why I have appreciated Chairman Michael McCaul’s steadfast leadership on this issue.
“Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has yet to allow every member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee to view the Kabul Embassy dissent cable that warned the Biden administration against a hasty withdrawal. This lack of transparency is appalling.
“Because of President Biden’s botched withdrawal, 13 U.S. servicemembers are dead, and many more are injured. Lawmakers must fully understand what advice was given to Biden officials before these decisions were made and how the President responded.
“The American people deserve answers. They deserve to know why the Biden administration deserted Bagram Air Base in the middle of the night without informing our allies. They deserve to know why Americans were left behind, why promises to Afghan interpreters and allies were broken, and why our servicemembers were treated like sitting ducks at the Kabul airport when a more secure airport 57 miles away could have been used.
“The Biden administration is trying to brush its misdeeds under the rug. Chairman McCaul and House Republicans won’t let them. We are committed to our oversight duties. If Biden administration officials continue to put barriers in our way, we will tear them down, one brick at a time–no matter how long it takes.”
