Lawmakers hold first hearings on Afghanistan evacuation missteps

Lawmakers this week will hold their first public hearings on the Afghanistan withdrawal and evacuation missions since all military forces departed from the country late last month.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will appear before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday and Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday to answer questions about his department’s role in the effort, and the uncertain fate of Americans and Afghan allies still trying to escape the country.

He is expected to face harsh questioning from both Republican lawmakers — who have publicly denounced President Joe Biden for missteps in the planned military withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent chaotic exit of tens of thousands of individuals — and Democrats who have raised concerns about refugees and allies left behind in the Taliban takeover.

Senate Armed Services Committee members will hear from Gen. Austin Scott Miller, former commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, on those same issues on Wednesday, but in a non-public, classified briefing.

The committee has scheduled two more public hearings on the issue this month, including one with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley on Sept. 28. House Armed Services Committee leaders have said they also plan on holding similar hearings in coming weeks.