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House Republicans demand declassification of info on chaotic US withdrawal
House Republicans are calling on the Biden administration to release information related to the chaotic withdrawal of US troops almost a year ago that preceded the collapse of the former Afghan government.
According to the Washington Examiner, GOP members of the House Intelligence Committee sent a letter to the secretaries of defense and state, urging them to comply with previous requests to release preliminary findings regarding the “rapid fall” of Afghanistan after 20 years of war.
Lawmakers initially requested the information in December as they put together their own investigation to determine the “root causes” of the collapse.
“There must be a full accounting of US government’s investments in the [Afghan National Defense and Security Forces] and Afghan government and an understanding of why those efforts failed in such rapid and dramatic fashion,” the group of lawmakers, led by Republican Mike Turner, wrote.
“It is unclear why the [Department of Defense] needs this information to remain classified and withheld from the public.”
The United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan nearly one year ago, and the government collapsed on August 15.
Shortly after, the Biden administration was tasked with providing the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) information so officials could investigate the cause of the collapse of the Afghan government.
“Most of the information contained in these supplemental annexes was classified by the DoD in 2017 at the request of the former Afghan president and in agreement with the U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Commanding General,” the letter states.
“Those organizations no longer exist, and there appears to be no compelling reason for this information to be withheld from public release.”
Republicans have long planned investigations into the Afghanistan debacle, with lawmakers calling for open congressional hearings on how the Biden administration handled the withdrawal of troops as well as the evacuation of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies. That could come to fruition next year if the GOP wins one or both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, the Washington Examiner reported.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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