Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris has taken a bold stance, declaring herself an integral player in the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021. This operation, which she insists was a “success,” saw 13 American servicemen lose their lives and many others injured in a tragic suicide bombing. The brass at the Biden administration seems to have a unique definition of success that not too many Americans can get behind.
House Republicans, on the other hand, have taken a decidedly different view of this “success.” Instead of giving accolades to Harris, they are conducting a thorough investigation into the botched withdrawal and have called in Secretary of State Antony Blinken for some much-needed testimony. After multiple attempts to get him to show up voluntarily went astray, they decided to go ahead and slap a subpoena on him, elevating the drama of Capitol Hill to the level of a high-stakes courtroom thriller.
Blinken rejects House subpoena on Afghanistan
The US Secretary of State will not be able to testify to lawmakers on the day he was called, his office has saidhttps://t.co/WlxCQ8SxXC pic.twitter.com/WlUup8dbug
— RT (@RT_com) September 4, 2024
Committee Chair Michael McCaul from Texas laid it all out in a recent announcement. Following his initial request for a voluntary appearance in May, the gloves came off and McCaul made it clear that Blinken must testify about the Afghanistan debacle or risk facing contempt charges. Apparently, in McCaul’s mind, Blinken’s previous 14 appearances before Congress somehow don’t cut it, especially when the committee is seeking clarity on decisions that led to loss of life and international embarrassment.
Blinken’s camp responded by claiming the subpoena was “disappointing,” suggesting there were attempts at negotiation over reasonable dates. They asserted that the committee should have engaged with the State Department “in good faith” instead of racing to issue subpoenas. But given the enormity of the situation, it seems that “good faith” is a tad hard to come by these days in Washington, where the stakes are high and accountability is so often lacking.
However, at the heart of this mess lies Harris herself, who has claimed to be the “last person in the room” when President Biden decided on a full troop withdrawal. The question remains: how much was she really involved? Whispers around Capitol Hill raise doubts, with anonymous sources offering conflicting accounts of her influence. With President Biden seemingly sidelined, it’s left to Harris to defend this colossal mismanagement that not only cost lives but also allowed the Taliban to reclaim power. One must wonder if “success” in Harris’ eyes could be chalked up to having a fun ride on Air Force Two instead of taking responsibility for a catastrophic blunder that many Americans would prefer to forget.
