Antony Blinken to Face Lawmakers Over Afghanistan Withdrawal, U.S. Policies
Source: The Wall Street Journal.
POLITICS
Antony Blinken to Face Lawmakers Over Afghanistan Withdrawal, U.S. Policies
Biden administration has been criticized for a disorganized evacuation and leaving Americans, allies behind
By Courtney McBride
https://twitter.com/CMcBinDC
courtney.mcbride@wsj.com
Sept. 13, 2021 9:00 am ET
The top U.S. diplomat this week will defend the Biden administration against bipartisan congressional criticism over the nations exit from Afghanistan and ongoing efforts to evacuate American citizens and others at risk from the Taliban-controlled country.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to testify at 2 p.m. ET Monday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the 20-year U.S. presence in Afghanistan and the withdrawal, including how Washington will deal with the Taliban movement now in charge of the country.
TO READ THE FULL STORY
SUBSCRIBE
SIGN IN
Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/antony-blinken-to-face-lawmakers-over-afghanistan-withdrawal-u-s-policies-11631538001
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will testify Monday before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the 20-year U.S. presence in Afghanistan and the withdrawal, including how Washington will deal with the Taliban movement now in charge of the country
Link to tweet
Probatim
(2,459 posts)it'll be a sad day for all of us.
ProudMNDemocrat
(16,485 posts)TFG's deal with the Taliban IS the reason we are no longer there.
Probatim
(2,459 posts)And I'd love to see expressions from the right when he does.
ProudMNDemocrat
(16,485 posts)SoS Blinken did not disappoint when he said. "We inherited a deadline. We did not inherit a plan." Which puts the withdrawal at Trump's feet, as well as the blame.
Probatim
(2,459 posts)It's nice to see these guys show up; however (and excuse my pessimism), we still have corporate media to contend with.
Like the Black Knight said - we'll call it a draw...
Fiendish Thingy
(15,368 posts)I know Steven Miller gummed up the visa process, but even knowing that, evacuation should have started much earlier.
As far as the military withdrawal and the completely unsurprising collapse of the Afghan government, I have no doubt Blinken will handle those questions deftly.
Ford_Prefect
(7,823 posts)wanted to destabilize any potential diplomatic efforts and leave Biden's Administration an even worse quagmire to withdraw from.
He needs to tell them about the efforts of TLG and his staff to sabotage the Afghan situation. Being Trump it's likely there was a cash payoff from interested royals in Riyadh too.
Steelrolled
(2,022 posts)This shouldn't be a secret that only the Pentagon knows. We all need to know. for when the time comes for our next war.
Frankly, I'm not sure Blinken is right man to get the bottom-line answers.
gab13by13
(20,864 posts)The evacuation was monumental and successful. It's damn near impossible to stop suicide bombers.
Where was the hearing to investigate why Trump pulled troops out of Syria and abandoned the Kurds?
olegramps
(8,200 posts)I actually despise each and every damn one of the bastards. I don't have one ounce of compassion for these lying scum bags if they get COVID and their whole damn family of traitors get it. They are going to take down the nation with their hatred as we stand by and wring our hands.
monkeyman1
(5,109 posts)bullwinkle428
(20,626 posts)how "Biden/Harris left our southern border unprotected by stopping the building of Trump's wall, letting all kinds of terrorists come into the country...yadda yadda yadda..."
He was given 5 minutes to ask a question, and give Blinken a chance to respond. Gregory Meeks had to stop him with like 40 seconds left in the 5 minutes, as Wilson hadn't even come close to forming a question.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,093 posts)Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to answer a line of questioning about Hunter Biden from a Republican congressman during his Monday testimony intended to be about the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan before the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Pennsylvania Representative Scott Perry seemed to baffle Blinken by asking him about a seemingly unrelated issue: "A little off-topic here, but I think it is interesting. How long was your recent interview with the FBI, and was it a deposition?"
Blinken apologized and responded that he didn't know to what Perry was referring. Perry tried again, saying "Are you saying you have not had a recent interview with the FBI since becoming secretary of state?
-snip-
After this back and forth, Perry asked, "Did the State Department turn over documents to the FBI related to Hunter Biden, Burisma and/or the Blue State Strategies Corporation?"
Link to tweet
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/blinken-baffled-as-gop-congressman-asks-him-about-hunter-biden-during-afghanistan-hearing/ar-AAOp0GH
I don't know Congressman Perry, do you still beat up on your wife? I mean if you're going to ask stupid questions we can play that game too.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,093 posts)Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) on Monday blasted Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) over his "You lie," interruption in 2009 of a speech by former President Obama to Congress, arguing he had little standing to now criticize Biden officials of lying.
The remarks from Connolly came during a contentious hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the troubled U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Secretary of State Antony Blinken came under tough questioning from Wilson and other Republicans on the panel.
"I guess I would say to my friend from South Carolina, if I were the member of Congress who committed one of the most grievous acts at a State of the Union address, when the president of the United States, Mr. Obama, was our guest, to shout out 'you lie,' I might take more care about enumerating other alleged lies in a hearing with the secretary of State," Connolly said after Wilson's remarks.
Wilson criticized the Biden administration's pullout as a "surrender in Afghanistan" and read an editorial from the New York Post that accused President Biden and other officials of lying about the withdrawal.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/connolly-rips-wilson-over-you-lie-during-blinken-hearing/ar-AAOp1Bq
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(107,093 posts)WASHINGTON Secretary of State Antony Blinken staunchly defended the Biden administration's withdrawal from Afghanistan on Monday during a contentious House hearing that highlighted lasting partisan divisions over America's longest war.
Republicans called President Joe Biden's decision and execution of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan a "disgrace" and "an unmitigated disaster" that leaves Americans vulnerable to future terrorist attacks.
"I never thought in my lifetime that I would see an unconditional surrender to the Taliban," said Rep. Michael McCaul, the top Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, which held the hearing.
Democrats said the messy end to America's 20-year military presence in Afghanistan was inevitable, and they pointed the finger at former President Donald Trump, who negotiated the full U.S. withdrawal in a 2020 deal with the Taliban.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/we-inherited-a-deadline-we-did-not-inherit-a-plan-blinken-defends-afghanistan-exit-during-testy-house-hearing/ar-AAOoYkD
It was Trump who surrendered to them McCaul you stupid fuck.