Republicans threaten Blinken with contempt over Afghanistan withdrawal cables

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 The Associated Press. 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 over its August 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, with the Taliban quickly moving into power amid the bloody exit. 

McCaul has argued the disclosure of the cable is key to understanding the Biden administration’s policies on the withdrawal and why the exit went how it did.

The State Department has refused to turn over the documents to the panel, arguing it needs to maintain the integrity of the confidential channel. The department offered 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.

A State Department spokesperson told The Hill the latest action from the committee was “unnecessary and unproductive.”

“It’s unfortunate that despite having received a classified briefing on the dissent channel cable as well as a written summary that the House Foreign Affairs Committee continues to pursue this unnecessary and unproductive action,” the spokesperson said. “Nevertheless, we will continue to respond to appropriate oversight inquiries and provide Congress the information it needs to do its job while protecting the ability of State Department employees to do theirs.”

Updated at 12:29 p.m.