Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is threatening to hold Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt if he does not turn over diplomatic cables related to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
McCaul has been in pursuit of a dissent cable from State Department officials from July 2021, which reportedly expressed grave concerns about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, warning about the fall of the U.S.-backed government.
Now the Texas Republican is threatening to hold Blinken in contempt if the State Department does not hand over the documents, according to a letter obtained by Mister Truth. He gave the department until Thursday to respond.
The reported cable came from a confidential “dissent channel,” that allows State Department officials to communicate views that are contrary to administration policy and issue warnings. The cable reportedly included warnings about the fragility of the government in Kabul in the event of a U.S. withdrawal.
The Biden administration has faced harsh criticism from Republicans overs its August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, with the Taliban quickly moving into power amid the bloody exit.
McCaul has argued that the disclosure of the cable is key to understanding the Biden administration’s policies on the withdrawal and why the exit went like it did.
The State Department has thus far refused to turn over the documents to the panel, arguing it needs to maintain the integrity of the confidential channel. The department did offer to give lawmakers a briefing on the contents of the cable.
McCaul argued in his letter that the response by the department had been “insufficient” in complying with the panel’s subpoena.
“Should you fail to comply, the Committee is prepared to take the necessary steps to enforce its subpoena, including holding you in contempt of Congress and/or initiating a civil enforcement proceeding,” he wrote.