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House Foreign Affairs sets first hearing to review Afghanistan withdrawal
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will convene its first hearing in its review of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on March 8 and is set to invite the leaders of two groups that organized charter flights that evacuated thousands of people from the country in August 2021.
The March 8 hearing will feature testimony from the leaders of Allied Airlift 21 and Task Force Pineapple.
The hearing is the panel’s first on Afghanistan since the GOP took control of Congress, building on work under now-Chairman Michael McCaul that included a report criticizing President Joe Biden for the chaotic exit from the country.
The deal to exit the country was first brokered under former President Trump.
The committee has made clear it hopes to use its newfound power to secure more cooperation from the Biden administration to evaluate the exit, The Hill reported.
“The Biden administration’s, and specifically the State Department’s, refusal to provide Congress with the necessary information regarding America’s unconditional withdrawal from Afghanistan has hampered the Minority Committee’s ability to complete a thorough investigation,” according to the report, which was released at the anniversary of the withdrawal last August.
Other agencies have similarly complained about resistance to their oversight efforts from the Biden administration.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has notified lawmakers on two occasions that it has faced trouble securing information from both the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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