Blinken Faces Contempt Threat for Withholding Afghan Documents

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, has vowed to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress if he fails to provide review documents related to the Biden administration’s “catastrophic withdrawal” from Afghanistan.

In a letter sent on Monday, McCaul expressed his frustration over the administration’s internal After-Action Review (AAR) analysis that outlined the failures of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, which led to the death of 13 U.S. service members in a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport.

McCaul stated that the interview documents are crucial for the committee’s search for the truth and legislative reform efforts. He also noted that these documents are currently being withheld by the White House and National Security Council.

McCaul has given Blinken until March 6 to produce the requested documents or face contempt of Congress.

“The law does not give the State Department the authority to obstruct Congress’s access to the truth,” McCaul wrote in the letter. He expressed disappointment with the Department’s failure to comply with previous requests and commitments.

In June, the State Department released 24 pages of the 85-page AAR, leaving the rest classified. The AAR highlighted the State Department’s failure to plan adequately before the collapse of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan.

McCaul is specifically seeking the interview notes compiled by former Ambassador Dan Smith, who was responsible for leading the AAR.

Expressing frustration with the Department’s delay, McCaul emphasized the need for accountability and transparency in the aftermath of the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.