Staff Reports
It’s been more than two years since President Biden’s embarrassing exit from Afghanistan, and his team still won’t hand over documents related to the tragic situation that they shamelessly called a success. Now, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is under fire for being less transparent than a brick wall. House Republicans are hot on the trail of the truth about the chaotic withdrawal, hoping to learn from the disaster and avoid a repeat performance in the future.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul is ready to bring down the hammer on Blinken if the State Department keeps playing keep-away with the documents. The committee wants to get their hands on interview documents used to write up the administration’s “after-action review” of Biden’s Afghanistan exit. This review, conducted in the aftermath of the messy withdrawal, exposed all sorts of screw-ups and blunders at the State Department’s hands. The notes and transcripts from those interviews contain the real deal about how things fell apart, even while President Biden and his buddies were peddling a load of baloney about the situation in Afghanistan.
Another Member of Biden's Cabinet Is in Trouble With Lawmakershttps://t.co/gPq4Of3B1c
— Elena (@helen44767171) February 28, 2024
But Blinken just won’t budge. He’s sitting on those juicy files like a mother hen on her eggs. Chairman McCaul is not having it, though. In a letter dripping with frustration, he made it clear that Blinken can’t hide behind executive privilege forever. He’s been trying to get the goods for over a year, but Blinken and his pals in the State Department have been stonewalling at every turn. The committee’s patience has run dry, and they’re demanding those files by March 6, 2024, or else Blinken will be facing the music.
McCaul’s letter lays it all out: the committee has been knocking on Blinken’s door for over a year and has been met with nothing but excuses and delays. Despite offers to work things out and address the State Department’s concerns, Blinken still won’t hand over the goods. The reasons Blinken’s department has given for keeping the interview notes under lock and key don’t hold water, according to McCaul. He’s fed up with the Department choosing politics over doing the right thing, and he’s not about to let them get away with it.
So, the political drama continues to unfold, and it looks like Blinken may have to face the music if he doesn’t start playing nice. Will the State Department cough up the dirt on Biden’s Afghanistan disaster, or will they keep playing hardball with Congress? Stay tuned for the next episode of “Biden’s Big Blunder!”
