US House subpoenas Blinken to testify on America's exit from Afghanistan
Antony Blinken
The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday (September 3) issued a subpoena to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, demanding that he testify on September 19 about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Chairman Michael McCaul, who leads the committee, said in a letter that Blinken's refusal to attend voluntarily prompted the subpoena. It added that if he does not comply, Blinkencould face contempt charges.
Blinken wasn't available
The State Department, as per Reuters, responded to the letter and said that Blinken was unavailable on the proposed dates but had offered "reasonable alternatives" for a public hearing.
Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed disappointment over the subpoena, calling it "unnecessary" given Blinken's previous cooperation, which included over 14 testimonies — including four before McCaul's committee. He also said that the US Secretary of State had provided McCaul's committee with nearly 20,000 pages of department documents, multiple high-level briefings and transcribed interviews.
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"It is disappointing that instead of continuing to engage with the Department in good faith, the Committee instead has issued yet another unnecessary subpoena," said Miller in a statement.
McCaul argued that based on testimonies from current and former State Department officials, it was clear that Blinken was "the final decision maker" on the Afghanistan withdrawal. Thus, he was key to the committee's investigation. He insisted Blinken’s testimony would inform potential legislation that couldprevent future mishandling of similar situations.
"You are therefore in a position to inform the Committee’s consideration of potential legislation aimed at helping prevent the catastrophic mistakes of the withdrawal, including potential reforms to the Department's legislative authorisation," said the letter.
The subpoena comes as the political debate surrounding the Afghanistan withdrawal intensifies amid the 2024 elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
