McCaul launches investigation into Afghanistan pullout decision
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US Congressman Michael McCaul launches an investigation into the US decision to withdraw from Afghanistan and demanded US State Department documents.
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US Representative Michael McCaul on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, June 29, 2021. (Reuters)
US Congressman Michael McCaul has opened an inquiry into the US' withdrawal from Afghanistan, and has demanded that US authorities disclose records and an assessment of the effects of the withdrawal.
In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as cited by CNN, McCaul explained, "It is imperative that the State Department provide complete responses to these longstanding requests, and the Committee will not tolerate continued delay. In the event of non-compliance, the Committee will use the authorities available to it to enforce these requests as necessary, including through compulsory process."
According to the broadcaster, McCaul requested information on talks with the Taliban movement commencing in January 2021 as well as a list of interdepartmental meetings that took place during US President Joe Biden's term and were relevant to the US troops' withdrawal.
Furthermore, the report showed that the Committee also stated that it was interested in investigating the lasting effects of the pullout.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated last week that Biden's choice to have US troops leave Afghanistan made it simpler to assist Ukraine, while according to Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, the pullout resulted from the necessity to get Ukraine ready for an offensive against Russia.
"It turns out that the reasons for the Americans’ abrupt withdrawal from the country included the need to focus on Ukraine, where, in their view, the puppet Kiev regime was making successful preparations for an offensive against Russia," Patrushev said.
Patrushev backed his point by recalling a statement made earlier by the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken that were it not for the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US wouldn't have been able to aid Kiev as much.
"Besides, some of the equipment withdrawn from Afghanistan was relocated to Europe, mostly to Poland, which made it possible for the Europeans to militarize the Kiev regime," he added.
Read more: Russia: US abruptly left Afghanistan to focus on Ukraine
