The Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael McCaul, revealed on Monday that he has signed a subpoena to be delivered to Secretary of State Antony Blinken regarding documents related to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
McCaul stated in a statement, "Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken refused to provide the cable and respond to it, which compelled me to issue my first subpoena in my capacity as Chairman of this committee." He added that the subpoena would be delivered on Tuesday morning.
McCaul has launched an investigation into the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan under President Joe Biden and the events that have occurred since then. During a session last week, Blinken indicated that the department has already disclosed information and is working to provide more, but that some specific details can only be shared with senior officials as a measure to protect the identities of those who expressed dissent.
In response to a request for comment on the subpoena, the U.S. State Department referred Reuters to remarks made by spokesperson Vedant Patel during a press briefing on Monday. Patel stated that the department "is prepared to make relevant information in the cable available through testimonies or other means."
Additionally, more than 20 American diplomats in Afghanistan had sent a confidential cable through one of the channels warning Blinken in July 2021 of the possibility of Kabul falling to the Taliban as U.S. forces withdrew from the country, according to The Wall Street Journal in 2021.
