WASHINGTON: The US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee subpoenaed Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday, saying he had refused to appear before the panel to testify on the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
In a letter about the subpoena, Chairman Michael McCaul said Blinken must appear before the committee on Sept. 19 or face contempt charges, the committee said.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken was not currently available to testify on the dates proposed by the committee, but has proposed “reasonable alternatives” to comply with McCaul’s request for a public hearing.
“It is disappointing that instead of continuing to engage with the Department in good faith, the Committee instead has issued yet another unnecessary subpoena,” Miller said in a statement.
He said Blinken had testified before Congress on Afghanistan more than 14 times, including four times before McCaul’s committee. He also said State has provided the committee with nearly 20,000 pages of department records, multiple high-level briefings and transcribed interviews.
McCaul asked Blinken in May to appear at a hearing in September on the committee’s report on its investigation of the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In his letter to Blinken, the Republican committee chairman said current and former State Department officials confirmed that Blinken was “the final decisionmaker” on the withdrawal and evacuation.
“You are therefore in a position to inform the Committee’s consideration of potential legislation aimed at helping prevent the catastrophic mistakes of the withdrawal, including potential reforms to the Department’s legislative authorization,” McCaul wrote.
The subpoena from McCaul’s committee, which has been investigating the deadly and chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan for years, comes as events surrounding the pullback become an increasingly politicized issue ahead of the Nov. 5 elections.
Former President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, visited Arlington National Cemetery late last month and took part in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the 13 servicemembers killed during the US withdrawal.
He also visited Section 60 of the cemetery, where troops are buried and which is considered hallowed ground in the military.
Federal law and Pentagon policies do not allow political activities in that section of the cemetery, but videos were taken by Trump’s campaign and used in advertisements.
During a speech in Pennsylvania on Friday, Trump said families of service members who died in Afghanistan had asked him to go to the cemetery.
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US congressional committee subpoenas Blinken over Afghanistan
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US congressional committee subpoenas Blinken over Afghanistan
- Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul says Blinken must appear on Sept. 19 or face contempt charges
- Events surrounding the US pullback from Afghanistan are becoming increasingly politicized issue ahead of Nov. 5 elections
Indonesia landslide death toll rises to 74
- Heavy rain triggered the landslide that tore through a mountain village in Java’s West Bandung region on January 24
- Around 50 houses were damaged and more than 160 people remain displaced, according to local authorities
JAKARTA: The death toll from a landslide in Indonesia has climbed to 74, authorities said Friday, extending the search for missing people and bodies nearly two weeks since it began.
Heavy rain triggered the landslide that tore through a mountain village in Java’s West Bandung region on January 24, burying dozens of homes and displacing hundreds.
Thousands of rescuers, supported by police, military and volunteers, have been digging through mud and debris manually and using heavy equipment.
The local search and rescue agency said 74 victims had been identified.
“There are still a number of residents on the missing persons list who have not yet been found,” said the agency’s head Ade Dian Permana, without giving a figure.
“Weather conditions remain the main challenge, with thick fog and rain still covering the search area, significantly impacting visibility and stability in the area,” said Ade.
He said the search would continue but with adjustments as it had now entered the recovery phase.
The Indonesian navy has said that 23 personnel that were training in the area were among those caught in the landslide that struck Pasirlangu village.
Around 50 houses were damaged and more than 160 people remain displaced, according to local authorities.
The government has pointed to the role forest loss played in flooding and landslides on the neighboring island of Sumatra late last year, which killed around 1,200 people and displaced more than 240,000.
Forests help absorb rainfall and stabilize the ground held by their roots, and their absence makes areas more prone to landslides.
Such disasters are common across the vast Indonesian archipelago during the rainy season, which typically runs from October to March.
Heavy rain triggered the landslide that tore through a mountain village in Java’s West Bandung region on January 24, burying dozens of homes and displacing hundreds.
Thousands of rescuers, supported by police, military and volunteers, have been digging through mud and debris manually and using heavy equipment.
The local search and rescue agency said 74 victims had been identified.
“There are still a number of residents on the missing persons list who have not yet been found,” said the agency’s head Ade Dian Permana, without giving a figure.
“Weather conditions remain the main challenge, with thick fog and rain still covering the search area, significantly impacting visibility and stability in the area,” said Ade.
He said the search would continue but with adjustments as it had now entered the recovery phase.
The Indonesian navy has said that 23 personnel that were training in the area were among those caught in the landslide that struck Pasirlangu village.
Around 50 houses were damaged and more than 160 people remain displaced, according to local authorities.
The government has pointed to the role forest loss played in flooding and landslides on the neighboring island of Sumatra late last year, which killed around 1,200 people and displaced more than 240,000.
Forests help absorb rainfall and stabilize the ground held by their roots, and their absence makes areas more prone to landslides.
Such disasters are common across the vast Indonesian archipelago during the rainy season, which typically runs from October to March.
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